Armorican Massif

Armorican Massif, flattened erosional upland, or peneplain, of France, encompassing the western départements of Finistère, Côtes-d’Armor, Morbihan, and Ille-et-Vilaine and parts of Manche, Orne, Mayenne, Maine-et-Loire, Loire-Atlantique, and Vendée. The region has an area of approximately 25,000 square miles (65,000 square km) and is bounded by the Paris Basin and the Seine River to the north and by the lowlands of the Loire and its tributaries to the south. Crystalline schist from Precambrian time (more than 540 million years old) predominates and is interlaced with bands of gneiss. Mountains formed during the Hercynian orogeny (mountain-building episode) of the Carboniferous Period (between about 360 and 300 million years ago) have been largely worn down by erosion, and elevations rarely exceed 1,300 feet (400 metres). The mountain of Avaloirs in Mayenne reaches an elevation of 1,368 feet (417 metres) and is the highest point in the Armorican Massif. Uplands include the hills of Arrée in Finistère and Côtes-d’Armor and Mené in Côtes-d’Armor. The basin of Châteaulin occupies much of Finistère and is drained by the Aulne River; the basin of Rennes dominates Ille-et-Vilaine. Erosion has carved out sharp abers, or gorges, in the north. The coastline is deeply indented.

The Gauls referred to the coastline as Armor, the land of the sea; the interior was known as Arcoat, the land of forests. Much of the interior has been deforested. Animal husbandry dominates agriculture, and the region is a leading producer of milk, cheese, beef, and pork. The cultivation of fodder is increasing. Emigration from the countryside has resulted in the consolidation of farmland. The population is concentrated along the coast, which has grown at the expense of the hinterland.