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Côtes-d'Armor (Department, France)

Last modified: 2003-07-05 by ivan sache
Keywords: cotes-d'armor | brittany | ermines: 6 (black) |
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[Cotes d'Armor]by Jorge Candeias

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Administrative data

Code: 22
Region: Bretagne
Traditional provinces: Bretagne (traditional Breton provinces of Goëllo-Penthièvre and Trégor)
Bordering departments: Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan

Area: 6,878 km2
Population (1995): 536,600 inhabitants

Préfecture: Saint-Brieuc
Sous-préfectures: Dinan, Guingamp, Lannion
Subdivisions: 4 arrondissements, 52 cantons, 369 communes.

The department was initially named Côtes-du-Nord ("Northern-Coasts"), referring to its geographical situation in Brittany. In the 90's, it was said that "Northern" could limit tourism, and the name of the department was changed to the French-Breton hybrid nmae Côtes-d'Armor. In Breton, Armor means the sea, and was used to named all parts of Britanny close to the coasts, as opposed to Argoat, the land, which was used to name the inner parts of Britanny.

Flag of the department

In 1985, the agency Alexandre created the rectangular logo, which was officialized as flag of the department (then Côtes-du-Nord) the same year. Blue symbolizes sea and green land, the white "stripe" representing a stylized seagull and also the geographical pattern of the coast. The flag is always used without letterings. When the name of the departement changed on 8 March 1990, the flag remained unchanged, a carsticker was offerred to all electors of the department and every city hall was given a 1.20 x 1.80 m flag. The flag has been very successful and is now seen all over the departement.

Source: Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]

The flag was also "lead astray" by the city of Binic, which is located on the bay of Saint-Brieuc, just in the basis of the white V of the flag. When you enter the city, there is a large billboard with the words Binic, la perle de la baie (Binic, the pearl of the bay). The picture on the billboard shows a close-up of a gorgeous woman wearing a green, deeply low-necked dress, and the location of Binic on the "map" (the close-up is similar to the flag in proportions) is represented by a beauty spot just "emerging" from the dress.

Ivan Sache, 4 January 1999

Former flag of the department

[Former flag]by Jaume Ollé

In the 1960s, a non-official flag of the department (then named Côtes-du-Nord) was designed by Mr Morvan, the head of the technical services in the municipality of Saint-Brieuc. This flag has a yellow border and is horizontally divided blue-white by a zigzag line. The line represents the coats of the department, the central triangle symbolizing the Bay of Saint-Brieuc. The six ermine spots placed in the white field symbolize Brittany.

The flag was manufactured only in 2 m x 2.50 m size, the width of the yellow border being 10 cm. It was used only in Saint-Brieuc, in public places. Its main use was associated with the Foire des Côtes-du-Nord, a fair organized each year in September. It was seen there for the last time in 1994.

Source: Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]

Ivan Sache, 8 September 2002

Flag of the General Council

The General Council has no specific flag and uses the department flag.

Pascal Vagnat, 4 January 1999