Concarneau

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Concarneau
Konk-Kerne
Concarneau's harbour and centre
Concarneau
Coordinates: 47°52′34″N 3°55′04″W / 47.8761°N 3.9178°W / 47.8761; -3.9178Coordinates: 47°52′34″N 3°55′04″W / 47.8761°N 3.9178°W / 47.8761; -3.9178
Country France
Region Brittany
Department Finistère
Arrondissement Quimper
Canton Concarneau
Intercommunality Communes de Concarneau-Cornouaille
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) André Fidelin
Area
 • Land1 41.08 km2 (15.86 sq mi)
Population (2008)
 • Population2 20,604
 • Population2 Density 500/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 29039 / 29900
Elevation 0–36 m (0–118 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Concarneau (Breton: Konk Kerne, meaning Bay of Cornwall) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Concarneau is bordered to the west by the Baie de La Forêt.

The town has two distinct areas: the modern town on the mainland and the medieval Ville Close, a walled town on a long island in the centre of the harbour. Historically, the old town was a centre of shipbuilding. The Ville Close is now devoted to tourism with many restaurants and shops aimed at tourists. However restraint has been shown in resisting the worst excesses of souvenir shops. Also in the Ville Close is the fishing museum. The Ville Close is connected to the town by a drawbridge and at the other end a ferry to the village of Lanriec on the other side of the harbour.

Events

In August the town holds the annual Fête des Filets Bleus (Festival of the blue nets). The festival, named after the traditional blue nets of Concarneau's fishing fleet, is a celebration of Breton and pan-Celtic culture. Such festivals can occur throughout Brittany but the Filets Bleus is one of the oldest and largest, attracting in excess of a thousand participants in traditional dress with many times that number of observers. In 2005, the 100th festival was celebrated.

Literature

Concarneau was the setting for Belgian mystery writer Georges Simenon's 1931 novel Le Chien jaune (The Yellow Dog), featuring his celebrated sleuth Maigret.

Economy

Fishing, particularly for tuna, has long been the primary economic activity in Concarneau. The Les Mouettes d'Arvor is one of the last traditional canning factories in Concarneau. Concarneau is one of the biggest fishing ports in France. Since the 1980s, other industries have arisen, such as boat construction and summer tourism.

The Ville Close separates the working port from the yacht basin.

Population

Inhabitants of Concarneau are called in French Concarnois.

Historical population
Year Pop.  ±%  
1793 3,908—    
1800 3,692−5.5%
1806 3,818+3.4%
1821 3,484−8.7%
1831 4,031+15.7%
1836 4,137+2.6%
1841 4,396+6.3%
1851 4,944+12.5%
1856 5,021+1.6%
1861 5,575+11.0%
1866 6,633+19.0%
1872 7,884+18.9%
1876 8,508+7.9%
1881 9,516+11.8%
1886 9,659+1.5%
1891 11,754+21.7%
1896 12,875+9.5%
1901 14,757+14.6%
1906 15,869+7.5%
1911 14,784−6.8%
1921 12,943−12.5%
1926 12,722−1.7%
1931 12,559−1.3%
1936 12,704+1.2%
1946 13,369+5.2%
1954 13,420+0.4%
1962 15,907+18.5%
1968 17,801+11.9%
1975 18,759+5.4%
1982 17,984−4.1%
1990 18,630+3.6%
1999 19,453+4.4%
2008 20,096+3.3%

Breton language

In 2008, 2.16% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.[1]

Personalities

International relations

Gallery

  • The medieval Ville Close

  • The commercial harbour

  • The yachting harbour

  • At dusk

  • The port

  • The yachting harbor

  • Château de Kériolet

  • Les Sables Blancs

  • The Ville Close

  • Duquesne

See also

References

  1. ↑ (French) Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue

External links

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