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Morbihan (Department, France)

Last modified: 2024-10-26 by olivier touzeau
Keywords: morbihan |
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[Flag]

Flag of Morbihan - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 4 January 2023

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Administrative data

Code: 56
Region: Bretagne
Traditional provinces: Brittany (traditional Breton Province of Broërec)
Bordering departments: Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique

Area: 6,823 km2
Population (2019): 747,548 inhabitants

Préfecture: Vannes
Sous-préfectures: Lorient, Pontivy
Subdivisions: 3 arrondissements, 21 cantons, 253 municipalities.

The department is named after the Gulf of Morbihan (in Breton, "The Little Sea"). Another proposal, "Côtes-du-Sud", was rejected.
In 1857, the municipality of Locunolé was transferred from the department of Morbihan to the department of Finistère.

Ivan Sache, 13 April 2019

Flag of Morbihan

The departemental council of Morbihan adopted a new logo in october 2022 [source: official website]

From the departmental website:

"A few simple principles guided the reflection around this visual overhaul. The logo should:

  • synthesize both the departmental administration (the Departmental Council also called "department") and the territory associated with it (Morbihan); this double representativeness should make it possible to strengthen the feeling of belonging to the department, to federate around a Morbihan identity, and to promote recognition by a common body.
  • be easily understandable, identifiable and readable, in particular to better distinguish itself from others when it is associated with that of other partners.
  • be modern and dynamic. The old logo dated from 2006 and deserved to be reviewed.
  • encourage support so that the people of Morbihan want to take ownership of it. In this sense, in addition to being aesthetic in terms of image, it had to be sober and efficient, if possible memorizable in the blink of an eye, and obviously enhance the department.

Very concretely, he also had to:

  • draw inspiration from and rehabilitate the coat of arms of Morbihan – rather unknown – on which we find spots of ermine reminiscent of the Duchy of Brittany and a rippled azure blue color filling evoking
    certainly the sea but above all the life associated with it.
  • contain and highlight in a very visible way the word "Morbihan", which means "small sea" in Breton and translates the Gulf of Morbihan. It alone characterizes a very strong aspect of the identity of this part of Brittany where the sea meets the land, with all the riches it contains.

The expression of this renewed visual identity, materialized by the adoption of this new logo, incorporates all these considerations. It combines the “spirit of the coat of arms” and “modernity”, traditional values and values geared towards the future. Between tradition and innovation, authenticity and modernity, through this new graphic universe, Morbihan shows above all that it adapts, moves and transforms, with a single objective: 'to make this formidable symbol a vector of notoriety and pride for all inhabitants in Morbihan' ".

A white flag with the logo can be seen in front of the departemental council (photo).

Olivier Touzeau, 4 January 2023

Former flags of the Departmental and General Councils

[Flag]

Flag of the Deparmental council of Morbihan 2013-2022 - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 25 April 2019

The flag in use in front of the Departmental Council of Morbihan [before 2022] (photo) is white with the Council's logo.
In 2015, General Councils were renamed to Departmental Councils. The former General Council of Morbihan had already omitted the words “Conseil général” from its flag (photo) since at least 2013.

The logotype is a synthesis of both the department's administration and the associated territory. "M" is the first letter of the word "Mor'bihan", in Breton, the Small Sea, and represents the Gulf of Morbihan. It emphasizes a very strong component of the identity of this part of Brittany, where the sea meets the land, with all associated resources. As expected, the "M" is blue, the color symbolizing the sea and the associated life. The orange disc represents the sun - another characteristic of South Brittany -, which baths the territory with its specific light. The anise green "comma" symbolizes the hinterland (the verdant countryside), and, by its style of drawing and bright color, dynamism (cultural, economic, social...).
The dark blue rectangle evokes the institutional framework: the rectangle builds, frames, and reassure.

The colors are specified as:

             Pantone         CMYK             RGB        Hex 
Dark blue     2955 C   100  45   0  37     0  78 134   #004E86
Blue           542 C    62  22   0   3    95 164 215   #5FA4D7
Orange         152 C     0  51 100   0   214 142   0   #F18E00
Green          383 C    20   0 100  19   190 189   0   #BEBD00

The typeface is ITC Stone Sans Stf.
[Graphic Charter, 2016]

Olivier Touzeau, 25 April 2019

[Flag]

Flag of the former General Council of Morbihan - Image by Pascal Vagnat, 20 June 2010

The flag of the General Council of Morbihan was white with the Council's logo.

[Flag]

Former flag of the General Council of Morbihan, 1998- - Image by Pascal Vagnat, 4 October 2009

The former flag of the General Council of Morbihan, adopted in 1998, was white with the former logo of the General Council.
Thelogo was a blue parallelogram with a green-blue-red-yellow emblem recalling a letter "M" and, maybe, the map of the department, flanked by "CONSEIL GÉNÉRAL" (top) in white letters and "Morbihan" (bottom) in green letters.

[Flag]

Earlier flag of the General Council of Morbihan, before 1998 - Image by Pascal Vagnat, 20 June 2010

An even older flag was white with the older logo of the General Council, a blue rectangle with the white writing "CONSEIL / GÉNÉRAL / DU MORBIHAN".

Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 20 June 2010