Morbihan (; ; , ) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France.
It is named after the Morbihan (small sea in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.
It is noted for its Carnac stones, which predate and are more extensive than the Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England.
Three major military educational facilities are located in Guer, including École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, the national military academy for officers.
History
Morbihan is one of the original 83 departments created on 4 March 1790 during the French Revolution.
It was created from a part of the Duchy of Brittany.
In 1945 cadets from École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, France's foremost military academy for officers, were relocated to Camp Coëtquidan (Camp de Coëtquidan) in Guer.
This has been developed to include also  the École militaire interarmes (inter-services military school), for non-commissioned officers; and École Militaire du Corps Technique et Administratif (military school of the technical and administrative corps).
Geography
Morbihan, part of the region of Brittany, is surrounded by the departments of Finistère, Côtes-d'Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine, and Loire-Atlantique, and the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest.
The Gulf of Morbihan has many islands: 365 according to legend.
There are actually between 30 and 40, depending on how they are counted.
There are also many islets that are too small for any development.
Of these islands, all but two are privately owned: l'Île-aux-Moines and l'Île-d'Arz.
Owners of the others include movie stars, fashion designers, and other wealthy "glitterati".
In the department of Morbihan, but outside the Gulf, there are four inhabited islands:
Belle Île
Groix
Houat
Hoëdic
Meaban, an island just outside the Port du Crouesty, is an ornithological reserve.
Visitors are forbidden there.
The largest towns in Morbihan are Vannes and Lorient.
Art and culture
Many residents support maintenance and use of the Breton language, and there are numerous  advocates of bilingual education.
The painter Raymond Wintz (1884–1956) depicted locations around the Gulf of Morbihan.
Governance
As of 2014, the préfet of Morbihan is Jean-François Savy, previously head of the Prefectures of Ardennes and of Hautes-Alpes.
Politics
Current National Assembly Representatives
Tourism
The Carnac stones, megalithic alignments of Carnac, are situated in Morbihan.
Tourism office of Auray
File:Vieux-quartier-port-vannes.jpg|Vannes File:Entre Golfe Morbihan.JPG|The Gulf of Morbihan is a popular sailing destination File:Château de Rochefort-en-Terre (cour 1).jpg|Rochefort-en-Terre File:Bagad.JPG|The bagad of Lann-Bihoué File:Kerlescan.JPG|Carnac stones See also
Cantons of the Morbihan department
Communes of the Morbihan department
Arrondissements of the Morbihan department
La Baule - Guérande Peninsula
References
External links
Prefecture website
General Council website
Cultural Heritage
Tourism website
Hiking in Morbihan
