# Le Cloître-Pleyben > commune in Finistère, France **Wikidata**: [Q381368](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q381368) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Cloître-Pleyben) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/le-clo-tre-pleyben ## Summary Le Cloître-Pleyben is a commune located in the Finistère department of Brittany, northwestern France. It sits at coordinates 48.256944444444° latitude and -3.8905555555556° longitude, and is part of the canton of Pleyben within the arrondissement of Châteaulin. The commune belongs to the Communauté de communes de Pleyben-Châteaulin-Porzay, an intercommunal structure established in 2017. ## Key Facts - **Location**: Finistère department, Brittany region, northwestern France - **Coordinates**: 48.256944444444° N, -3.8905555555556° W - **Administrative status**: Commune of France (type of territorial subdivision established in 1789) - **Canton**: Pleyben - **Arrondissement**: Châteaulin - **Intercommunal membership**: Communauté de communes de Pleyben-Châteaulin-Porzay (since January 1, 2017) - **Department**: Finistère (established March 4, 1790) - **Country**: France - **Official name**: Le Cloître-Pleyben (Breton alias: Kloastr-Pleiben) - **Website**: http://www.region-de-pleyben.fr - **Population**: Historical figures include 563, 540, 545, 531, 527, 791, 673, 588, 512, 536, 562, 577, 524, 520, 513, 508, and 502 residents ## FAQs **What type of administrative area is Le Cloître-Pleyben?** Le Cloître-Pleyben is a commune, which is the smallest territorial subdivision for administrative purposes in France. Communes are analogous to municipalities or townships in other countries and serve as the fundamental unit of local government. **Which department and region does Le Cloître-Pleyben belong to?** Le Cloître-Pleyben is located in the Finistère department of the Brittany region in northwestern France. Finistère is the westernmost department of mainland France, known for its rugged coastline and Celtic cultural heritage. **What intercommunal structure is Le Cloître-Pleyben part of?** Le Cloître-Pleyben belongs to the Communauté de communes de Pleyben-Châteaulin-Porzay, a French intercommunal entity (a cooperative between neighboring communes) that was established on January 1, 2017. This community of communes serves as a framework for joint economic, social, and cultural development in the area. **What is the historical context of Le Cloître-Pleyben's administrative classification?** As a commune of France, Le Cloître-Pleyben's administrative status dates back to 1789 during the French Revolution, when the commune system was established as a replacement for the previous parochial divisions. The Finistère department itself was created on March 4, 1790. ## Why It Matters Le Cloître-Pleyben represents the grassroots level of French local government, serving as a fundamental administrative unit where daily municipal services are delivered to residents. As part of the Finistère department—one of the four departments in Brittany—the commune contributes to the preservation of a region with distinct Celtic cultural traditions, the Breton language, and historical significance dating back to pre-Roman times. The commune's membership in the Communauté de communes de Pleyben-Châteaulin-Porzay reflects a broader trend in French administrative organization where smaller municipalities collaborate to achieve economies of scale and provide enhanced services. This intercommunal structure, established in 2017, enables Le Cloître-Pleyben to participate in shared projects related to economic development, environmental protection, and community infrastructure that would be impractical for individual small communes to undertake independently. The commune's location in northwestern France positions it within a region that has historically served as a gateway between the European continent and the British Isles, giving the broader area strategic importance throughout European history. ## Notable For - **Breton cultural heritage**: Part of Finistère, a department where Breton language and traditions remain actively preserved - **Administrative continuity**: One of France's oldest municipal structures, dating to the revolutionary period of 1789 - **Intercommunal cooperation**: Member of a modern intercommunal structure established in 2017 for regional development - **Geographic position**: Located in the westernmost department of metropolitan France ## Body ### Geography and Location Le Cloître-Pleyben is situated in the Finistère department of Brittany, France's northwestern peninsula. The commune's precise geographic coordinates are 48.256944444444° north latitude and 3.8905555555556° west longitude. Finistère is renowned for its dramatic coastline, Celtic heritage, and historical significance as one of the original provinces of Brittany. ### Administrative Structure As a French commune, Le Cloître-Pleyben functions as the lowest level of administrative division in France. The commune system was established during the French Revolution in 1789, replacing the previous parochial system. Each commune has its own mayor and municipal council. Le Cloître-Pleyben belongs to the canton of Pleyben, which serves as a constituency for elections to the departmental council. The commune is further nested within the arrondissement of Châteaulin, one of the administrative divisions responsible for state representation in local affairs. At the supramunicipal level, the commune participates in the Communauté de communes de Pleyben-Châteaulin-Porzay, an intercommunal structure created on January 1, 2017. This community of communes brings together multiple municipalities to coordinate economic development, land use planning, and public services. The headquarters of this intercommunal body is located in Châteaulin. ### Historical Context The Finistère department was created on March 4, 1790, during the early stages of the French Revolution as part of the reorganization of France's administrative divisions. The department name derives from the Latin "Finis Terræ," meaning "end of the earth," reflecting the peninsula's position at the western edge of the European continent. Le Cloître-Pleyben's status as a commune dates to the revolutionary period, when the former parochial boundaries were replaced with the municipal system that continues to this day. The commune has maintained its administrative identity through subsequent political changes, including the establishment of the Fifth Republic in 1958. ### Demographics and Population The commune has experienced varying population levels over time, with recorded figures including 791, 673, 588, 577, 562, 563, 545, 540, 536, 531, 527, 524, 520, 513, 508, and 502 residents. These figures reflect the demographic fluctuations common in rural French communes, particularly in regions experiencing rural depopulation as younger residents migrate to urban centers. ### Cultural and Linguistic Identity Le Cloître-Pleyben is located in Brittany, a region with a distinct Celtic cultural and linguistic heritage. The Breton language (Brezhoneg), a Celtic language closely related to Welsh and Cornish, remains spoken in Finistère and surrounding departments. The commune's official name in French is Le Cloître-Pleyben, while its Breton name is Kloastr-Pleiben, reflecting the bilingual nature of the region. ### Regional Significance The commune's participation in the Communauté de communes de Pleyben-Châteaulin-Porzay demonstrates the importance of intercommunal cooperation in rural Brittany. This structure enables smaller municipalities like Le Cloître-Pleyben to access shared resources, coordinate regional planning, and participate in European funding programs that would otherwise be unavailable to communes of its size. The broader region of Finistère is known for its agricultural traditions, seafood industry, and tourism, particularly centered on the Breton coast. The department contains numerous communes with similar profiles—small, rural municipalities that collectively form the social and economic fabric of western Brittany. ## References 1. French National Directory of Representatives 2. BnF authorities 3. dataset of postal codes in France. 2018 4. INSEE code 5. [Source](http://mnesys-viewer.archives-finistere.fr/accounts/mnesys_cg29/datas/medias/collections/edepot_pdf/EDEPOT_LeCloitrePleyben.pdf) 6. répertoire géographique des communes 7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 8. Annuaire de service-public.fr 9. Recensement de la population 2015. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 2017 10. Populations légales 2016 11. Populations légales 2017 12. Populations légales 2018 13. [Populations légales communales depuis 1968. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies](https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2522602) 14. Populations légales 2019 15. Populations légales 2020 16. Populations légales 2021 17. Populations de référence 2022 18. Populations de référence 2023 19. [Code officiel géographique](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/3363419) 20. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies 21. [Source](https://www.habitants.fr/le-cloitre-pleyben) 22. GeoNames 23. [répertoire géographique des communes. 2015](https://wxs-telechargement.ign.fr/83edtfdyqte031y0ra49d2e3/telechargement/inspire/RGC-2015-01$RGC2015/file/RGC2015.7z) 24. [2016](https://data.geopf.fr/telechargement/download/GEOFLA/GEOFLA_2-2_COMMUNE_SHP_LAMB93_FXX_2016-06-28/GEOFLA_2-2_COMMUNE_SHP_LAMB93_FXX_2016-06-28.7z) 25. [Code officiel géographique. 2017](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/2560698)