It became an independent kingdom and then a duchy before being united with the Kingdom of France in as a province governed as a separate nation under the crown. Brittany is the traditional homeland of the Breton people and is one of the six Celtic nations , [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] retaining a distinct cultural identity that reflects its history.
Brittany has also been referred to as Little Britain as opposed to Great Britain , with which it shares an etymology. Its land area is 34, km 2 13, sq mi.
Brittany is the site of some of the world's oldest standing architecture, home to the Cairn of Barnenez , the Tumulus Saint-Michel and others, which date to the early 5th millennium BC.
Loire-Atlantique now belongs to the Pays de la Loire region while the other four departments make up the Brittany region. At the census, the population of historic Brittany was estimated to be 4,, In , the largest metropolitan areas were Nantes , inhabitants , Rennes , inhabitants , and Brest , inhabitants. A nationalist movement seeks greater autonomy within the French Republic, or independence from it.
This word had been used by the Romans since the 1st century to refer to Great Britain, and more specifically the Roman province of Britain. In Roman times, Armorica included what is now Brittany.
