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Ushant (/ˈʌʃənt/;[2] Breton: Eusa, pronounced [ˈøsa]; French: Ouessant, pronounced [wɛsɑ̃]) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and, in medieval terms, Léon. In lower tiers of government, it is a commune in the Finistère department. It is the only place in Brittany, save for Brittany itself, with a separate name in English.

Ushant
Commune
Satellite image of Ushant in 2003
Location of Ushant
Ushant
Ushant
Coordinates: 48°27′29″N 5°05′44″W
CountryFrance
RegionBrittany
DepartmentFinistère
ArrondissementBrest
CantonSaint-Renan
Government
  Mayor (20202026) Denis Palluel
Area
1
15.58 km2 (6.02 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2019)[1]
833
  Density53/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
29155 /29242
Elevation0–61 m (0–200 ft)
(avg. 30 m or 98 ft)
WebsiteOfficial website
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography


Neighbouring islets include Keller Island (Île de Keller) and Kadoran (Île Cadoran) to the north. The 200-meter (660 ft) channel between Ushant and Keller is called the Toull C'heller.

Ushant marks a southern limit of the Celtic Sea[3] and the southern end to the western English Channel, the northern end being the Isles of Scilly, southwest of Land's End in Cornwall, England. According to definitions of the International Hydrographic Organization the island lies outside the English Channel and is in the Celtic Sea.[4]

The island is a rocky landmass at most eight by three kilometres (five by two miles), covering 15 km2 (5+34 sq mi).


History


Ushant is famous for its maritime past, both as a fishing community and as a key landmark in the Channel approaches. It is named in the refrain of the sea shanty "Spanish Ladies":

We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar across the salt seas,
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England,
From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues.

Several naval battles have been fought near Ushant between the British and French navies.

On 23 July 1815 the captive Emperor Napoleon aboard HMS Bellerophon towards his final exile spent several hours on deck watching Ushant, the last part of France he would see.[5]

During World War II, a force of British Commandos and US Army Rangers of the 29th Provisional Rangers successfully attacked a German radar installation on the island.[6]

In March 1978, the oil tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground at Portsall about 19 miles (31 km) from the island, leading to major pollution of the Brittany coast.

According to a repetitive old Breton proverb, "Qui voit Molène voit sa peine / Qui voit Ouessant voit son sang / Qui voit Sein voit sa fin / Qui voit Groix voit sa croix." ("Who sees Molène sees his pains (or penalty) / who sees Ushant sees his blood / who sees Sein sees his end / who sees Groix sees his cross"). This proverb underlines local points being often deadly to navigate with many rocks, and tidal streams of more than ten knots.

A standard start and finish line for traditional all-oceans circumnavigations is between Ushant and Lizard Point.[citation needed]


Population


The sole village on the island is Lambaol (Lampaul), which has the mayoral office, school and post office. People also live in the outlying hamlets of Feuteun Vélen, Frugullou, Pen ar Lan, and Porsguen.

The island's usually resident population is less than 13 of that recorded in 1901 and 1931 (and five censuses between these years).

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
18001,510    
18061,465−0.50%
18211,851+1.57%
18312,032+0.94%
18362,151+1.14%
18412,194+0.40%
18461,983−2.00%
18512,271+2.75%
18562,258−0.11%
18612,391+1.15%
18662,368−0.19%
18722,377+0.06%
YearPop.±% p.a.
18762,382+0.05%
18812,364−0.15%
18862,307−0.49%
18912,490+1.54%
18962,287−1.69%
19012,717+3.51%
19062,761+0.32%
19112,953+1.35%
19212,586−1.32%
19262,524−0.48%
19312,439−0.68%
19362,363−0.63%
YearPop.±% p.a.
19462,223−0.61%
19542,071−0.88%
19621,938−0.83%
19681,814−1.10%
19751,450−3.15%
19821,221−2.43%
19901,062−1.73%
1999932−1.44%
2008856−0.94%
2017835−0.28%

Climate


Under the Köppen climate classification, Ushant features an oceanic climate : temperate, fully humid, temperate summer (Cfb), with generally cool, rainy winters and temperate, drier summers.

Town Sunshine

(hours/yr)
Rain

(mm/yr)
Snow

(days/yr)
Storm

(days/yr)
Fog

(days/yr)
National average 1,973770142240
Ushant N/A761.53.45.149.3[8]
Paris 1,661637121810
Nice 2,7247671291
Strasbourg 1,693665292956
Brest 1,6051,21171275


Climate data for Ushant (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1995–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 15.1
(59.2)
15.2
(59.4)
18.4
(65.1)
22.5
(72.5)
24.1
(75.4)
27.7
(81.9)
31.5
(88.7)
29.3
(84.7)
26.2
(79.2)
24.3
(75.7)
18.1
(64.6)
16.0
(60.8)
29.3
(84.7)
Average high °C (°F) 10.4
(50.7)
10.4
(50.7)
11.5
(52.7)
13.2
(55.8)
15.2
(59.4)
17.5
(63.5)
19.3
(66.7)
19.6
(67.3)
18.2
(64.8)
15.9
(60.6)
13.0
(55.4)
11.1
(52.0)
14.6
(58.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 8.6
(47.5)
8.4
(47.1)
9.3
(48.7)
10.7
(51.3)
12.7
(54.9)
14.9
(58.8)
16.5
(61.7)
16.8
(62.2)
15.7
(60.3)
13.8
(56.8)
11.2
(52.2)
9.3
(48.7)
12.3
(54.1)
Average low °C (°F) 6.8
(44.2)
6.4
(43.5)
7.2
(45.0)
8.2
(46.8)
10.2
(50.4)
12.3
(54.1)
13.8
(56.8)
14.1
(57.4)
13.2
(55.8)
11.7
(53.1)
9.4
(48.9)
7.5
(45.5)
10.1
(50.2)
Record low °C (°F) −2.5
(27.5)
−1.1
(30.0)
−0.4
(31.3)
1.9
(35.4)
3.8
(38.8)
8.0
(46.4)
9.8
(49.6)
10.5
(50.9)
8.3
(46.9)
5.4
(41.7)
2.8
(37.0)
−0.2
(31.6)
−2.5
(27.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 92.7
(3.65)
75.3
(2.96)
56.1
(2.21)
58.2
(2.29)
50.0
(1.97)
48.6
(1.91)
47.2
(1.86)
60.5
(2.38)
52.1
(2.05)
80.7
(3.18)
95.1
(3.74)
96.1
(3.78)
812.6
(31.99)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 15.6 12.4 11.8 10.1 8.0 8.2 8.3 9.5 8.9 12.7 16.0 16.0 137.6
Average snowy days 1.2 1.6 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.9 4.3
Source: Meteo France[9]

Sights


The Creac'h lighthouse (Phare du Creach) is reputedly the most powerful in Europe.[citation needed] Ouessant is the French system name for Plymouth in the British system of the Shipping Forecast.


Cultural ties to Scotland


In 2007, Ushant hosted a Scottish book festival and subsequently created their own tartan registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans;[10] and in August 2010, the islanders were reported to be seeking to establish cultural links with a Scottish island. Rob Gibson, Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Highlands and Islands welcomed the suggestion.[11]


Transport


Ushant, nearby islands, and the NW coast of France
Ushant, nearby islands, and the NW coast of France

Ushant is connected to the French mainland by air and sea. Passenger ferries of the Penn Ar Bed company operate from Brest and Le Conquet year-round, and also from Camaret in summer, stopping at the island of Molène en route.[12] The airline Finistair operates flights on Cessna 208 planes from Brest Bretagne Airport.[13]


Fauna


Ouessant sheep
Ouessant sheep

Ouessant sheep form a rare breed, originating here. These are northern European short-tailed sheep, ubiquitous in northern Europe up to Roman times, but which now survives only in a few places. Apart from Ushant, these are in remote islands and mountains of Britain and Scandinavia and some places around the Baltic Sea. It is one of the smallest breeds of domestic sheep. It is usually black or dark brown (a few are white), and it is now kept elsewhere in the world as a heritage breed.

The isolation of the island has helped the conservation of the European dark bee (Apis mellifera mellifera), unaffected by pollution, pesticides and Varroa parasites.[14] In the rest of France, it has been substituted by Apis mellifera ligustica. As a side effect, populations of the bee louse, Braula coeca,[15] that has elsewhere perished through pesticides can still be found among the island's bee population. The association Conservatoire de l'Abeille Noire Bretonne[16] is attempting to conserve and increase the numbers of the European dark bee, intending to reintroduce it in Western France.[17]

Ushant and the Molène archipelago support Europe's southernmost colony of grey seals. They are mostly at Point Cadoran, on Ushant's north coast, where the strong currents keep the water temperature below 15 degrees Celsius (59°F), the warmest that the seals can tolerate.


Literary and musical references


Ferry approaching Ushant
Ferry approaching Ushant

Ushant is a minor character of Herman Melville's White-Jacket (1850). Ushant is highly admired for his beard.[18]


Book awards


The island awards annual literary prizes to worldwide writers.[21]


See also



References


  1. "Populations légales 2019". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2021.
  2. "Definition of 'Ushant'". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  3. C. Michael Hogan. 2011. Celtic Sea. eds. P.saundry & C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the /environment. Washington DC.
  4. "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition + corrections" (PDF). International Hydrographic Organization. 1971. pp. 42 [corrections to page 13]. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  5. Cordingly, David (2003). The Billy Ruffian. New York: Bloomsbury. pp. 256–7. ISBN 9781582341934.
  6. Slaughter, John Robert (8 November 2009). Omaha Beach and Beyond: The Long March of Sergeant Bob Slaughter. Zenith Press. pp. 70–71. ISBN 9780760337349.
  7. Paris, Nice, Strasbourg, Brest
  8. "Normales climatiques 1981-2010 : Ouessant". www.lameteo.org. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  9. "Ouessant–Stiff (29)" (PDF). Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records (in French). Meteo France. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  10. "French island of Ouessant adopts local tartan". BBC News. 10 August 2010.
  11. "Islanders Seek Scots Friends". The Herald. Glasgow. 16 August 2010.
  12. "Bateau vers les iles Ouessant, Molène et Sein - Penn Ar Bed". pennarbed.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  13. "Bienvenue sur www.finistair.fr - Compagnie Finist'air". finistair.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  14. Alle, Gérard; Le Moigne, Jean-Louis (2011). Abeille et miel en Bretagne (in French). Coop Breizh. ISBN 9782843465222. Archived from the original on 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  15. Martin, Jean-Pierr. "Braula cœca" (in French).
  16. Dominique Raizon (4 April 2012). "L'Abeille Noire d'Ouessant est en pleine forme" (in French). Radio France Internationale. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  17. "L'abeille noire réintègre le continent". espace-sciences.org (in French). Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  18. White-Jacket, chapter 84
  19. "September 3, 1938". Orwell Diaries 1938-1942. 3 September 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  20. "Жизнь моряка (fb2)". rus.ec (in Russian). Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  21. Bloom, Dan (13 May 2015). "Translation of eco-fantasy book wins French island prize". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 November 2015.



На других языках


[de] Ouessant

Ouessant (bretonisch Enez Eusa, englisch Ushant, Niederdeutsch Heysand) ist eine französische Insel und eine Gemeinde mit 833 Einwohnern (Stand 1. Januar 2019) vor der bretonischen Atlantikküste. Sie ist die westlichste Siedlung Frankreichs (ausgenommen Überseegebiete). Die Insel gehört zum Arrondissement Brest im Département Finistère in der Bretagne.
- [en] Ushant

[es] Ouessant

Ouessant (en bretón, Eusa), es una isla y comuna francesa situada a 20 km al oeste de la costa de la región de Bretaña, que depende administrativamente del departamento de Finisterre.

[fr] Ouessant

Ouessant (/wɛsɑ̃/ ; en breton : Eusa /ˈøsa/) est une commune insulaire française du département du Finistère et de la région Bretagne, constituée pour l'essentiel par l'île d'Ouessant dans l'océan Atlantique. Le bourg principal s'appelle Lampaul. Ses habitants sont appelés les Ouessantins et Ouessantines. Ouessant fait partie du parc naturel régional d'Armorique et du parc naturel marin d'Iroise. Elle a la particularité de ne pas être rattachée à une intercommunalité[1].

[it] Ouessant

Ouessant (Enez Eusa in bretone, Ushant in inglese, Ognissanti in italiano, desueto) è un'isola e un comune francese di 888 abitanti situato nel dipartimento del Finistère nella regione della Bretagna.

[ru] Уэсан

Уэса́н[1] (фр. Ouessant, брет. Enez Eusa, англ. Ushant) — остров, расположенный в самой западной точке бретонской акватории (т. н. море Ируаз). Размеры 7 км на 4 км, население 863 человека[2] (2009). Юго-восточнее расположена цепь архипелага Молен.



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