Brittany (French: Bretagne [bʁətaɲ] ⓘ; Breton: Breizh [brɛjs]; Gallo: Bertaèyn [bəʁtaɛɲ]) is the westernmost region of Metropolitan France.

It is sung to the same tune as that of the national anthem of Wales, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", and has similar words.

[3][4] Part of the reason Brittany was split between two present-day regions was to avoid the rivalry between Rennes and Nantes.

The term région was officially created by the Law of Decentralisation (2 March 1982), which also gave regions their legal status.

The name "Brittany" derives from the Britons, an Insular Celtic (Brythonic) people who inhabited most of Great Britain during the Roman and Sub-Roman periods.

During the migration period of the Early Middle Ages the Britons were displaced from most of what is now England by the Anglo-Saxon invasions, leading many to settle in western Armorica, present-day Brittany.

The capital city of the modern Brittany region is Rennes, located in the central eastern part of the region; most of the major lines of communication between Brittany and Paris pass through Rennes, which is a large industrial and university city.

[citation needed] Lorient, in the Morbihan, was once a major shipping port trading with – as its name suggests – the Orient; but its shipping and shipbuilding industries have largely declined, and like other ports on the south coast of Brittany, is better known today for its yachting and yacht-building industry.

The south coast, facing onto the Bay of Biscay, is flatter, much milder, and has a number of large sandy beaches.

There are also many inlets on the south coast, such as La Trinité sur Mer, which in the past have been ports and commercial harbours, but today are more popular with yachtsmen and a dwindling fishing industry.

The backbone of Brittany is a granite ridge stretching from east to west, peaking in the Monts d'Arrée.

The Breton language, though not much used in everyday life, and not understood by most of the modern population, has made a comeback in recent years, and is taught in many schools.

The name of Brittany derives from settlers from Great Britain, who fled the island in the wake of the Anglo-Saxon invasions of England between the fifth and seventh centuries.

The centrist candidate François Bayrou also polled relatively highly in the region and Fougères elected a MoDem deputy to the National Assembly (he has since joined the pro-UMP New Centre).

The French Communist Party's support is largely concentrated in the south-west of the Côtes-d'Armor and north-west of Morbihan.

The Greens and other environmentalist parties have traditionally been strong in the region, especially in urban areas such as Rennes or Quimper.

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 99.5 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 4.2% of French economic output.

OUIBUS coach services link the region with the largest cities in France at low cost.