Ushant , Enez Eusa (or Eussa ) in Breton, Ushant in English, is a common insular of the department of the Finistere, in the area Brittany, in France.

The borough of Ushant is called Lampaul . Its inhabitants is called Ouessantin (E) S .

Geography

Situation

Ushant is the seventh French island by the size. Distant of twenty kilometers of the west coast of the Finistere, long and broad of four, it eight kilometers is the most Western ground of the Metropolitan France if one excludes the small island of Nividic to some encablures of the island.

Ushant has the shape pointing out that of a grip of Crabe, the west of the island being divided into two points, the points of Pern and Feunteun Velen framing bay of Lampaul. In the east, the bay of Stiff is the only place easily accessible by the sea with bay from Lampaul.

The island is separated from the Archipel of Molène by the Passage of Fromveur, an arm of the sea presenting of the very important marine currents (8 to 10 node S) resulting from a 60 depth m local fault. It is surrounded by several small islands, of which the island of Keller in north.

Ushant traditionally marks the southern entry of the Manche (the northern entry being marked out by the Scillies called more usually Scilly Isles, of their English name).

Environment

By its situation, Ushant escapes many sources of pollution from the air, and is a zone of stage for unquestionable migrating or birds lost at sea. The island is nevertheless episodically victim of arrival of tar or oil and is near several deposits of immersed Munitions (of which Tabun and Sarin).

Communes bordering

Ushant is a common islander and does not have a terrestrial contact with another commune. The commune of Island-Molène is located at south-east.

Demography

The only significant village of the island east Lampaul, at the bottom of bay of the same name.

History

Ushant is an island since prehistoric times. At the end of the glacial last era, it was already separated from the continent. The oldest elements of occupation go back to 1.500 before J. - C. One discovered a village pre-Christian having existed during many centuries in Ushant, signs of an already old civilization. One can find the traces of them on the archeological site present in the center of the island, close to the Saint-Michel coast.

The island was a reference mark for the sailors of Antiquity (Carthaginois, then Greek and Roman) who made the trade of the tin with the Îles Cassitérides (Cornwall or Scillies): the Greek geographer Strabon indicates it under the name of Oυξισαμη, Pline Old the like Axanta , but the usual Latin name is Uxantis .

Ushant was for a long time an island isolated because of the many difficulties of access to its escarpée coast, thus creating an autarkical company . The local population, almost exclusively made up women (put aside young children and old men), practiced mainly agriculture like means of subsistence. The men were engaged in the royal Marine under the Ancien Mode and left for long missions. A part of them never returned. Thereafter, the development of the commercial lines supported their recruiting in the Merchant navy. The women, remained with ground, had as a task to occupy themselves, of the house (a small hovel without least comfort), of the children and the agricultural work. They were the true household heads.

The improvement of the connections with the continent, necessary to the development of the island, intervenes only in 1880 with the startup of the first " vapor " carrying out a regular connection. Previously, the connections were ensured, when the weather conditions allowed it, by small sailing ships heavily charged.

It is in second half of the 19th century that the " progrès" fact its appearance in Ushant with creation of a school, a small port, of a church, replacing the multiple vaults and especially also by the Beaconing of its coasts, so fatal. The island will be electrified in 1953.

Political life and administration

Political life

Administrative organization

The commune of Ushant east also to it only a canton.

At the last quarters 2004, Ushant was still not affiliated with a Intercommunalité with clean taxation. It is however member of the Mixed trade-union Regional natural park of Armorique and regrouping of the Îles of the West.

Inheritance

Religious heritage

• Church of Saint-pol. Aurélien (1860)

Civil inheritance

Ushant counts five headlights, on the island or in the vicinity immediate.

• Headlight of Créac' the H, most powerful of the world, located on the Northern coast of the island;
• Headlight of Stiff, built in 1699, on the North-eastern coast of the island;
• Headlight of Nividic;
• Headlight of the Mare;
• Headlight of Kéréon.

Museums

Ushant counts two museums:

• the écomusée of Niou-Huella presents the Ouessant-native traditions;
• the museum of the Headlights and beacons, located at the Headlight of Créac' H, recalls the technological changes of the maritime Signalisation and presents the history of the construction of the Phare S.

Health

The island gathers a medical center, a house of reception for elderly (MAPA) and a pharmacy. The inhabitants are looked after by a general doctor and a kinesitherapist; animals by a veterinary surgeon.

Sport

The island offers many sports activities, such as the horsemanship, the Voile, the Plongée and various contests (of charts, of game of bowls…).

Culture

Sayings

Which sees Sein sees its end. Who sees Ushant sees his blood. This old saying illustrates the danger that there was to pass the strong current of Center and to approach Ushant at the time or the boats were not motorized.

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