Groix (; br, Enez Groe) is an island and a commune in the

Morbihan Morbihan ( , ; br, Mor-Bihan ) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coast ...

department of the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period o ...

in north-western France. Groix lies a few kilometres off the coast of

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...

. Several ferries a day run from Lorient to Groix. There are a few small towns on the island. High cliffs are on its north coast and sandy beaches in secluded coves on the south coast. Groix is also home to a wide variety of sea birds. Groix is also famous for hosting the only convex beach in Europe, which also moves following sea currents. During the last 15 years, the beach moved half a kilometer westbound. The geology of Groix is distinct from that of the nearby continent, and the east and south coasts have been designated a mineral nature reserve since 1982. More than 60 minerals can be found on the island, particularly blue glaucophane (observable on the surface), epidote or

garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different ...

. The island mainly consists of

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

. A major naval battle between

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

took place off Groix in 1795.

Climate

Demographics

Inhabitants of Groix are called ''Groisillons''.

Gallery

File:Ile-de-Groix.png, A map of Groix File:Groix-le-port.jpg, Port Tudy, main harbor of Groix

References

Bibliography

* "Gildas, the cabin boy from Groix" 2007 by the students of College Saint Tudy-ile de Groix

External links