Brest, Fraunce

**Brest** (; ) is a ceety in the Finistère department in Breetany in north-wastren Fraunce. Locatit in a sheltered poseetion no far frae the wastren tip o the Breton peninsula, Brest is an important harbour, seicont French military port efter Toulon, at the wastren extremity o Fraunce. The ceety is locatit at the occidental edge o continental Europe, hence the expression *« Europe frae Brest tae [[Brest, Belaroushie|Brest]] »*. Coontin 142,722 inhabitants, *Brestois* an *Brestoises* (2007 sensur),  Brest is the main metropolitan aurie (reachin 300,300 inhabitants) o Wast Beettany, seicont ahind anerlie Rennes in the region o Breetany an the 22nt populous ceety o Fraunce. Awtho Brest is bi far the lairgest ceety in Finistère, the *préfecture* (caipital) o the depairtment is the muckle smawer commune o Quimper.

Durin the Middle Age, the history o Brest wis the history o its castle. Then Richelieu made it a military harbour. Brest grew aroond its arsenal, till the seicont pairt o the 20t century. Profoondly merked bi the Allies bombin raids durin Warld War II, the ceety centre wis completely rebuilt efter the war. At the end o the 20t century an the beginnin o the 21st century, the deindustrialization o the ceety wis follaed bi the development o the service sector. Nouadays, Brest is an important varsity toun wi 23,000 students. Asides a multidisciplinary varsity, the University o Wastren Breetany, Brest an its surroondin aurie possess several prestigious French elite schools sic as *[[École Navale]]* (the French Naval Academy), *[[École nationale supérieure des télécommunications de Bretagne|Télécom Bretagne]]* an *[[École nationale supérieure des ingénieurs des études et techniques d'armement]]* (ENSIETA). Brest is an' a' an important research centre, mainly focused on the sea, wi amang ithers the lairgest Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation o the Sea) center, *le Cedre* (Centre o Documentation, Research an Experimentation on Accidental Watter Pollution) an the French Polar Institute.

Brest’s history haws aaways been linked tae the sea: the *[[Académie de Marine]]* (Naval Academy) wis foondit in 1752 in this ceety as well as the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle wis biggit thare. Ivery fower years, Brest hosts the internaitional festival o the sea, boats an sailors: it is a meetin o auld riggins frae aroond the warld.

## Geography

Brest is locatit amidst dramatic landscape near the entrance o the naitural *[[rade de Brest]]* (Brest roadstead), at the wast end o Breetany.

It is situatit tae the north o a magnificent landlockit bay, an occupies the slopes o twa hills dividit bi the river Penfeld. The pairt o the toun on the left bank is regardit as Brest proper, while the pairt on the richt is kent as Recouvrance. Thare are an' a' extensive suburbs tae the east o the toun. The hillsides are in some places sae steep that the ascent frae the lawer tae the upper toun haes tae be effectit bi flichts o steps an the seicont or third storey o ane hoose is aften on a level wi the grund storey o the next.

File:Topographie de brest.jpg|Topography o Brest.
File:Brest.png|Brest an its surroondin aurie.


## Twin touns

Brest is twinned wi:
*  Cádiz, Spain  (1986)
*  Constanţa, Romanie  (1993)
*   Denver, Colorado, Unitit States  (1956)
*  Dún Laoghaire, Ireland  (1984)
*  Kiel, Germany  (1964)
*   Plymouth, Devon, Unitit Kinrick  (1963)
*  Saponé, Burkina Faso  (1989)
*  Taranto, Italy  (1964)
*  Yokosuka, Japan  (1970)

### Friendly relationship
Brest haes an offeecial friendly relationship (*protocole d'amitié*) wi:
*  Bejaïa, Algerie  (1995)

## References