ISLANDS

Ushant

A wind-battered French island off the western tip of Brittany, the entrance to the English Channel and a key navigational landmark since antiquity.

Geography

Ushant, known in French as Ouessant, lies about 20 km off the coast of Finistere. Five lighthouses, including the Creach Light, one of the most powerful in the world, guide vessels through the strait.

Shipping Hazard

Treacherous currents and frequent fog have made the waters around Ushant one of the most hazardous shipping areas in Europe. The Amoco Cadiz oil tanker grounded off the island in 1978, causing a major environmental disaster.

Sheep

The island once raised the small black Ushant sheep, a rare breed nearly extinct on the island itself but kept in conservation flocks. Drystone walls divide grazing lots in a pattern unchanged for centuries.

Find more islands by letter

Ushant starts with U and ends with T. Browse other islands along the same letter.

Islands that contain a letter from "Ushant":