Brittany region, France, satellite image. North is at top. Vegetation is shown in green, water in blue, and urban areas in grey. Brittany (highlighted), known as Bretagne in French, is an administrative region in north-western France. The English Channel lies to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. The region has a population of around 3 million (2005). Its capital is Rennes, which lies towards the east of the region.