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Ushant

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"Ouessant" redirects here. For the breed of sheep, see Ouessant (sheep). For the Agosta-class submarine, see French submarine Ouessant (S623).
Ushant
Ouessant, Enez-Eusa
Location of Ushant
Map
CountryFrance
RegionBrittany
DepartmentFinistère
ArrondissementBrest
CantonOuessant
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Denis Palluel
Area
1
15.58 km2 (6.02 sq mi)
Population
 (2008)
856
 • Density55/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.

Ushant (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈʌʃənt/[1]; Breton: Enez Eusa, French: Ouessant) is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department. It is the only place in Brittany with a separate name in English.

Geography

Ushant marks a southern limit of the Celtic Sea[2] and the southern entrance to the western English Channel, the northern entrance being the Isles of Scilly, southwest of Land's End in Cornwall, England. Although it is sometimes considered an island in the English Channel, it does not form part of the Channel Islands. According to the definitions of the International Hydrographic Organization the island lies outside the English Channel and is in the Celtic Sea.[3]

The island is a rocky landmass some 8 km (5.0 mi) by 3 km (1.9 mi) with a total area of 15 km2 (5.8 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 is thirty-five leagues.

Several naval battles have been fought near Ushant between the British and French navies.[4]

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

An old Breton proverb says : Qui voit Ouessant voit son sang, Qui voit Sein voit sa fin.

"He who sees Ushant sees his blood, He who sees Sein sees his end."

This proverb is related to the area around the island, considered one of the most challenging to navigate in the world with its many rocks and more than ten knot tide streams.

The usual start and finish line for circumnavigations of the globe is between Ushant and Lizard Point.

Population

There is only one significant community on the island, the village of Lambaol/Lampaul.

Historical population of Ushant
Year1800180618211831183618411846185118561861
Population1510146518512032215121941983227122582391
Year1866187218761881188618911896190119061911
Population2368237723822364230724902287271727612953
Year1921192619311936194619541962196819751982
Population2586252424392363222320711938181414501221
Year199019992008
Population1062932856

Sights

The Kreac'h lighthouse is reputedly the most powerful in the world.

Events

In August 2010 the islanders were reported to be seeking to establish cultural links with a Scottish island. In 2007 Ushant hosted a Scottish book festival and subsequently created their own tartan. Rob Gibson, an MSP for the Highlands and Islands welcomed the opportunity.[5]

Transport

Ushant is connected to the French mainland by both 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.[6] The airline Finistair operates flights on Cessna 208 planes from Brest Bretagne Airport.[7]

Literary references

Ushant

Ushant is also the title of the autobiography of the American poet and novelist Conrad Aiken, published in 1952.

Ushant is mentioned in George Orwell's diaries, in passing.[8]

Ushant is also a character briefly appearing in Herman Melville's White-Jacket. Ushant is highly admired for his beard. See chapter 84 of the book for further information.

Ushant is mentioned repeatedly in the works of Patrick O'Brian in reference to the maritime activities and position of various ships and characters in the series.

Ushant appears occasionally as a landfall in C. S. Forester's novels about Horatio Hornblower.

Ushant is one of the locations in the mystery "Act of Mercy" by Peter Tremayne. The book is set in 666 A.D.

Father Truitard, a character in Bruce Chatwin's novel "The Viceroy of Ouidah", spent "years communing with the waves and petrels on the island of Ushant".

Ushant is mentioned in Dmitry Lukhmanov's narrative 20 000 miles under sail.[9]

A ship from Ushant (Ouessant in French) is mentioned in the poem "Barbara" by French poet Jacques Prévert.

See also

References

  1. ^ Entry in Collins
  2. ^ C.Michael Hogan. 2011. Celtic Sea. eds. P.saundry & C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the /environment. Washington DC.
  3. ^ "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition + corrections" (PDF). International Hydrographic Organization. 1971. pp. 42 [corrections to page 13]. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  4. ^ See Battle of Ushant (disambiguation page).
  5. ^ "Islanders Seek Scots Friends" (16 August 2010). Glasgow: The Herald.
  6. ^ Penn Ar Bed website
  7. ^ Finistair website
  8. ^ http://orwelldiaries.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/september-3/
  9. ^ http://lib.rus.ec/b/255797/read
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