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fr|Ouessant}}}}Communes of France>Commune|image = Ushant SPOT 1273.jpg|caption = Satellite image of Ushant in 2003|image coat of arms = COA fr Ouessant.svg|arrondissement = Brest|canton = Saint-Renan|INSEE = 29155|postal code = 29242PUBLISHER=DATA.GOUV.FR, PLATEFORME OUVERTE DES DONNéES PUBLIQUES FRANçAISESLANGUAGE=FR, |term = 2020–2026|intercommunality =48.4581format=dms|display=inline,title}}|elevation m = 30|elevation min m = 0|elevation max m = 61|area km2 = 15.58population_total}}population_as_of}}population_footnotes}}|website = Official website|image flag=Flag of Ushant.svg}}Ushant ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʌ|ʃ|ə|n|t}};WEB,weblink Definition of 'Ushant', Collins English Dictionary, 29 November 2015, , {{IPA-br|ˈøsa|pron}}; , {{IPA-fr|wɛsɑ̃|pron}}) 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 times, 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.

Geography

Neighbouring islets include Keller Island () and Kadoran () to the north. The {{convert|200|m|ft|adj=on|sp=us}} channel between Ushant and Keller is called the .Ushant marks a southern limit of the Celtic SeaC. Michael Hogan. 2011. Celtic Sea. eds. P.saundry & C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the /environment. Washington DC. 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.WEB,weblink Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition + corrections, 1971, International Hydrographic Organization, 28 December 2020, 42 [corrections to page 13], The island is a rocky landmass at most {{convert|8|by|3|km|mi|abbr=off|spell=on|0}}, covering {{convert|15|km2|sqmi|frac=4|abbr=on}}.

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":{{poemquote|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|1786|6}} towards his final exile – spent several hours on deck watching Ushant, the last part of France he would see.BOOK, Cordingly, David, The Billy Ruffian,weblink registration, 256–7, New York, Bloomsbury, 2003, 9781582341934, 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.BOOK, Omaha Beach and Beyond: The Long March of Sergeant Bob Slaughter, John Robert, Slaughter, 70–71, Zenith Press, 8 November 2009, 9780760337349, In March 1978, the oil tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground at Portsall about {{Convert|19|mi|km|0}} from the island, leading to major pollution of the Brittany coast.According to a repetitive old Breton proverb, ("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.WEB, Jules Verne Trophy - Rules,weblink Jules Verne Trophy, 30 June 2023, There is a single school situated on the island; L'École D'Ouessant situated south-east of the main town. It was founded in 1865 by Scottish refugees fleeing English persecution and the majority of the island's youth attend the school. It is also a major employer on the island as it is only large workplace. Notable alumni include Jean-Philippe Moteur, Gerard Alineuz, Claude Simbiote and the now mayor of the island, Denis Palleul. {{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Population

{{Historical populations|source = INSEEPopulation en historique depuis 1968, INSEE|percentages = pagr|align = left1814145012211062932863862832}}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.{{clear left}}

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.{{Clear}}{{Meteo France|Town=Ushant|Sunshine= N/A|Rain=761.5|Snow=3.4|Storm=5.1WEBSITE=WWW.LAMETEO.ORG, 2 June 2022, }}{{Weather box|location = Ushant (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1995–present)|metric first = yes|single line = yes|Jan record high C = 15.1|Feb record high C = 15.2|Mar record high C = 18.4|Apr record high C = 22.5|May record high C = 24.1|Jun record high C = 27.7|Jul record high C = 31.5|Aug record high C = 29.3|Sep record high C = 26.2|Oct record high C = 24.3|Nov record high C = 18.1|Dec record high C = 16.0|year record high C = 29.3|Jan high C = 10.4|Feb high C = 10.4|Mar high C = 11.5|Apr high C = 13.2|May high C = 15.2|Jun high C = 17.5|Jul high C = 19.3|Aug high C = 19.6|Sep high C = 18.2|Oct high C = 15.9|Nov high C = 13.0|Dec high C = 11.1|year high C = 14.6|Jan mean C = 8.6|Feb mean C = 8.4|Mar mean C = 9.3|Apr mean C = 10.7|May mean C = 12.7|Jun mean C = 14.9|Jul mean C = 16.5|Aug mean C = 16.8|Sep mean C = 15.7|Oct mean C = 13.8|Nov mean C = 11.2|Dec mean C = 9.3|year mean C = 12.3|Jan low C = 6.8|Feb low C = 6.4|Mar low C = 7.2|Apr low C = 8.2|May low C = 10.2|Jun low C = 12.3|Jul low C = 13.8|Aug low C = 14.1|Sep low C = 13.2|Oct low C = 11.7|Nov low C = 9.4|Dec low C = 7.5|year low C = 10.1|Jan record low C = -2.5|Feb record low C = -1.1|Mar record low C = -0.4|Apr record low C = 1.9|May record low C = 3.8|Jun record low C = 8.0|Jul record low C = 9.8|Aug record low C = 10.5|Sep record low C = 8.3|Oct record low C = 5.4|Nov record low C = 2.8|Dec record low C = -0.2|year record low C = -2.5|precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 92.7|Feb precipitation mm = 75.3|Mar precipitation mm = 56.1|Apr precipitation mm = 58.2|May precipitation mm = 50.0|Jun precipitation mm = 48.6|Jul precipitation mm = 47.2|Aug precipitation mm = 60.5|Sep precipitation mm = 52.1|Oct precipitation mm = 80.7|Nov precipitation mm = 95.1|Dec precipitation mm = 96.1|year precipitation mm = 812.6|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm|Jan precipitation days = 15.6|Feb precipitation days = 12.4|Mar precipitation days = 11.8|Apr precipitation days = 10.1|May precipitation days = 8.0|Jun precipitation days = 8.2|Jul precipitation days = 8.3|Aug precipitation days = 9.5|Sep precipitation days = 8.9|Oct precipitation days = 12.7|Nov precipitation days = 16.0|Dec precipitation days = 16.0|year precipitation days = 137.6|Jan snow days = 1.2|Feb snow days = 1.6|Mar snow days = 0.4|Apr snow days = 0.1|May snow days = 0.0|Jun snow days = 0.0|Jul snow days = 0.0|Aug snow days = 0.0|Sep snow days = 0.0|Oct snow days = 0.0|Nov snow days = 0.1|Dec snow days = 0.9|year snow days = 4.3|source 1 = Meteo FranceWEB,weblink 4 March 2018,weblink Ouessant–Stiff (29), Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records, Meteo France, fr, 5 March 2018, }}

Sights

The Creac'h lighthouse () is reputedly the most powerful in Europe.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} 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;NEWS, French island of Ouessant adopts local tartan,weblink 10 August 2010, BBC News, 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.NEWS, Islanders Seek Scots Friends, 16 August 2010, The Herald (Glasgow), The Herald, Glasgow,

Transport

(File:Iroise sea map-en.svg|thumb|200px|right|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.WEB,weblink Bateau vers les iles Ouessant, Molène et Sein - Penn Ar Bed, pennarbed.fr, 29 November 2015, fr, The airline Finistair operates flights on Cessna 208 planes from Brest Bretagne Airport.WEB,weblink Bienvenue sur www.finistair.fr - Compagnie Finist'air, finistair.fr, 29 November 2015, fr,

Fauna

(File:Bretonische Zwergschafe.JPG|thumb|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{{Where|talk=no|date=May 2023}}.The isolation of the island has helped the conservation of the European dark bee (Apis mellifera mellifera), unaffected by pollution, pesticides and Varroa parasites.BOOK, Abeille et miel en Bretagne, Gérard, Alle, Jean-Louis, Le Moigne,weblink fr, Coop Breizh, 2011, 9782843465222, 2015-04-13, 2013-07-31,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130731223146weblink">weblink dead, In the rest of France, it has been substituted by Apis mellifera ligustica. As a side effect, populations of the bee louse, Braula coeca,WEB,weblink Braula cÅ“ca, Jean-Pierr, Martin, fr, that has elsewhere perished through pesticides can still be found among the island's bee population. The association NEWS,weblink L'Abeille Noire d'Ouessant est en pleine forme, Dominique Raizon, 4 April 2012, Radio France Internationale, 29 November 2015, fr, is attempting to conserve and increase the numbers of the European dark bee, intending to reintroduce it in Western France.WEB,weblink L'abeille noire réintègre le continent, espace-sciences.org, 29 November 2015, fr,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151208172132weblink">weblink 8 December 2015, dead, dmy-all, 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 Â°F), the warmest that the seals can tolerate.

Media and art references

(File:Semaphore-ouessant.jpg|thumb|Ferry approaching Ushant)Ushant is a minor character of Herman Melville's White-Jacket (1850). Ushant is highly admired for his beard.White-Jacket, chapter 84

• The island figures in (The Blood of the Siren, 1901) by Anatole Le Braz.
• It is mentioned in the chorus of the sea shanty Spanish Ladies ("From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues").
• Rudyard Kipling mentions it in his poem Anchor Song.
• Charles Tournemire's Symphony No. 2, completed in 1909, was inspired by and named for the island.
• The 1910 novel by German author Bernhard Kellermann takes place on the island. Features such as Phare du Creach and Port du Stiff are highly defined. The main character stays at the la Villa des tempêtes, in ruins today.
• The secret of the seas (), is a 1923 novel by André Savignon set on Ushant.
• "Lord Ushant" is the title given the heir to the Duchy of Tintagel (Cornwall) in Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers (1938).
• Ushant is mentioned in George Orwell's diaries, in passing.WEB,weblink September 3, 1938, Orwell Diaries 1938-1942, 3 September 2008, 29 November 2015,
• A ship from Ushant is mentioned in the WWII Brest destruction commemorative ode Barbara by French poet Jacques Prévert.
• Ushant is the autobiography of the American poet and novelist Conrad Aiken, published in 1952.
• Ushant is one of the many French islands referenced in Laurent Voulzy's (:fr:Belle-ÃŽle-en-Mer, Marie-Galante|Belle-ÃŽle-en-Mer, Marie-Galante), a major hit in France since its release in 1986.
• Ushant appears over and over in works of Patrick O'Brian as to the whereabouts and course of ships in his book series.
• Ushant occasionally appears as a landfall in C. S. Forester's novels about Horatio Hornblower.
• Mystery book Act of Mercy by Peter Tremayne is set in 666 AD Ushant and elsewhere.
• Ushant is the setting of the 2004 French film (English title: The Light) directed by Philippe Lioret.
• Father Truitard, a character in Bruce Chatwin's The Viceroy of Ouidah, spent "years communing with the waves and petrels on the island of Ushant".
• It is mentioned in Dmitry Lukhmanov's narrative 20000 miles under sail.WEB,weblink Жизнь моряка (fb2), rus.ec, 29 November 2015, ru,
• Yann Tiersen made the album Eusa in 2016. Each track is named after a location on the island.
• A trip to the island forms an important plot point in Éric Rohmer's 1996 film A Summer's Tale.
• Ushant was featured in some of the scenes of the 1929 film Finis Terræ.

Book awards

The island awards annual literary prizes to worldwide writers.NEWS,weblink Translation of eco-fantasy book wins French island prize, Taipei Times, 13 May 2015, 29 November 2015, Dan, Bloom,

See also

• Battle of Ushant (disambiguation)
• Communes of the Finistère department
• Parc naturel régional d'Armorique
• List of the works of Charles Cottet depicting scenes of Brittany

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category|Ouessant}}

• {{in lang|fr}} weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20040226050443weblink">Ushant communal council website
• {{in lang|fr}} weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120317153313weblink">Cultural Heritage
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20040416222546weblink">Article at AllRefer Encyclopedia, based on The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia
• Traditional, "Spanish Ladies", credited to Iron Men & Wooden Ships, by Frank Shay {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504024137weblink |date=2007-05-04 }}
• Ile d'Ouessant - Photo gallery
• Storm Island – article about the island by William Langewiesche in the December 2001 issue of The Atlantic
• EB1911, Ushant, 27, x,

{{Finistère communes}}{{Authority control}}