An island of northwest France in the Atlantic Ocean off western Brittany. Naval battles between the French and the British occurred off the island in 1778 and 1794.
Ushant
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Ush·ant (ŭsh'ənt)  |
An island of northwest France in the Atlantic Ocean off western Brittany. Naval battles between the French and the British occurred off the island in 1778 and 1794.
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Ushant (ŭsh'ənt), Fr. Ouessant, island, 10 sq mi (25.9 sq km), Finistère dept., off Brittany, in the Atlantic, c.10 mi (16 km) from the mainland. A hazard to navigation and subject to intense fall and winter storms, Ushant has several lighthouses and marks the southwestern entrance to the English Channel. Sheep raising and fishing are economically important, as is summer tourism. In 1778 and 1794 naval battles occurred nearby between the French and English.
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For the breed of sheep, see Ouessant (sheep).
Coordinates: 48°27′29″N 5°05′44″W / 48.458056°N 5.095556°W
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Commune of Ushant |
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| Ouessant, Enez-Eusa | |
| Location | |
  Ushant
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Bretagne |
| Department | Finistère |
| Arrondissement | Brest |
| Canton | Ouessant |
| Mayor | Denis Palluel (2008—2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 0–61 m (0–200 ft) (avg. 30 m/98 ft) |
| Land area1 | 15.58 km2 (6.02 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 932 (1999) |
| - Density | 60 /km2 (160 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 29155/ 29242 |
| Website | Official website |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Ushant (Breton: Enez Eusa, French: Ouessant) is an island in the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of European 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.
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Geography
Ushant marks 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 an island in the English Channel, it does not form part of the Channel Islands.
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).
Demographics
There is only one significant community on the island, the village of Lambaol/Lampaul. Ushant has a total population of 932 people (1999).
The Kreac'h lighthouse is reputedly the most powerful in the world.
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. See Battle of Ushant.
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.
Literary references
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.[1]
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.
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ouessant |
- (French) Ushant communal council website
- (French) Cultural Heritage
- Article at AllRefer Encyclopedia, based on The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia
- Traditional, Spanish Ladies, credited to Iron Men & Wooden Ships, by Frank Shay
- Ile d'Ouessant - Photo gallery
- Storm Island – article about the island by William Langewiesche in the December 2001 issue of The Atlantic
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Learn More
 | Howe, Richard (British admiral) |
| battle of Ushant |
| The Room (Further Reading) (poem) |
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ushant". Read more |
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- Howe, Richard (British admiral)
- battle of Ushant
- The Room (Further Reading) (poem)
- Alexander Hood
- Conrad Aiken (American author & poet)
- Bay of Biscay (body of water, the Atlantic Ocean/France/Spain)
- John Jervis
- English Channel (body of water, England/the Atlantic Ocean)
- Paul Aurelian
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- The Room (Author Biography) (poem)
- George Brydges Rodney
- George B. Wilbur (psychoanalysis)
