Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain (as opposed to Great Britain, with which it shares an etymology).[2] It is bordered by the English Channel to the north, Normandy to the northeast, eastern Pays de la Loire to the southeast, the Bay of Biscay to the south, and the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its land area is 34,023 km2 (13,136 sq mi).
At the 2010 census, the population of historic Brittany was estimated to be 4,475,295. Of these, 71% lived in the region of Brittany, while 29% lived in the Loire-Atlantique department. In 2017, the largest metropolitan areas were Nantes, (972,828 inhabitants), Rennes (733,320 inhabitants), and Brest (321,364 inhabitants).[6] Brittany is the traditional homeland of the Breton people and is one of the six Celtic nations,[7][8][9][10] retaining a distinct cultural identity that reflects its history. A nationalist movement seeks greater autonomy within the French Republic.[11]