Brest

Brest (pop. 153,100), seaport and naval station in Finistère department, northwest France. It is built on two hills overlooking an island harbor linked with the Atlantic Ocean by a natural 6-mi (9.7-km) channel. Brest is a commercial port, but important primarily as a naval base. During World War II the base was used by German submarines and was largely destroyed by Allied bombing.

See also: France.