Ille-et-Vilaine

Département in the Brittany region of northwest France, bordering Mont-Saint-Michel bay and the English Channel; area 6,758 sq km/2,609 sq mi; population (1999 est) 867,500. The principal towns are Rennes (the administrative centre), Fougères, Redon, and the ports of St-Servan-sur-Mer and St-Malo. The principal industries are footwear (at Fougères), cars, electronics, and leatherwork (at Rennes).

Wheat, barley, flax, and potatoes are among the chief crops. The fishing grounds off the coast are exploited, particularly for the oysters of Cancale, which are exported. Mineral resources include granite (around Fougères), slate, and lead (at Bruz).

Ille-et-Vilaine was once part of the former province of Brittany. The rivers Ille and Vilaine flow from the north and east, uniting at Rennes. The land is mostly flat, with forests and marshes in the north. The forest of Paimpont in the west was mentioned in Arthurian legend as the forest of Brocéliande; it is now diminished in size. The marsh of Dol is a fertile region formerly engulfed by the sea.