Brest, Fraunce

Brest (Template:IPA-fr; Template:IPA-br) is a ceety in the Finistère department in Breetany in north-wastren Fraunce. Locatit in a sheltered position 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^[1] ». 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. Although 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 marked 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 university toun wi 23,000 students^[2]. Asides a multidisciplinary university, the University o Wastren Breetany, Brest an its surroondin aurie possess several prestigious French elite schools such as École Navale (the French Naval Academy), 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 of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water 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 built there. 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.

[edit] Geography

Brest is locatit amidst dramatic landscape near the entrance o the natural 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. There are an' a' extensive suburbs tae the east o the toun. The hillsides are in some places so 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.