Laz, Finistère

Laz (French pronunciation: [laz]) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.

Laz Laz
Commune
The church of Saint-Germain and Saint-Louis, in Laz
Coat of arms
Location of Laz
Laz Show map of France Laz Show map of Brittany
Coordinates: 48°08′18″N 3°50′02″W
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Finistère
Arrondissement	Châteaulin
Canton	Briec
Intercommunality	Haute Cornouaille
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Annick Barré[1]
Area 1	34.44 km2 (13.30 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	685
• Density	20/km2 (52/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	29122 /29520
Elevation	31–295 m (102–968 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

The commune is situated at the heart of a hilly and forest-covered region called the Montagnes Noires (black mountains) which extends for approximately 30 kilometres between the communes of Gourin to the east and Gouezec in the west.

The population of the commune is quite scattered, forming small settlements that could be considered as hamlets. Laz offers outlooks over the valley of the Odet to the south and the canalized Aulne river and its locks to the north.

Map

Topographic map

Economy

Agricultural development was held back by the French Revolution and the subsequent royalist revolt, combined with poor soil conditions. The commune started to grow in the middle of the 19th century, when the use of fertiliser and other new techniques allowed the land to be brought into full agricultural use.

Population

Inhabitants of Laz are called in French Laziens.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 1,280 —     1800 1,383 +1.11% 1806 1,133 −3.27% 1821 1,291 +0.87% 1831 1,358 +0.51% 1836 1,429 +1.02% 1841 1,404 −0.35% 1846 1,555 +2.06% 1851 1,433 −1.62% 1856 1,242 −2.82% 1861 1,251 +0.14% 1866 1,250 −0.02% 1872 1,201 −0.66% 1876 1,209 +0.17% 1881 1,238 +0.48% 1886 1,245 +0.11% 1891 1,203 −0.68% 1896 1,313 +1.77%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 1,389 +1.13% 1906 1,412 +0.33% 1911 1,464 +0.73% 1921 1,383 −0.57% 1926 1,384 +0.01% 1931 1,370 −0.20% 1936 1,290 −1.20% 1946 1,211 −0.63% 1954 1,115 −1.03% 1962 1,025 −1.05% 1968 996 −0.48% 1975 863 −2.03% 1982 786 −1.33% 1990 706 −1.33% 1999 694 −0.19% 2007 767 +1.26% 2012 685 −2.24% 2017 661 −0.71%
Source: EHESS[3] and INSEE (1968-2017)[4]

See also

• Communes of the Finistère department
• Listing of the works of the atelier of the Maître de Tronoën
• Listing of the works of the Maître de Laz

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
3. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Laz, EHESS (in French).
4. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE

External links

• Official website (in French)
• Base Mérimée: Search for heritage in the commune, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
• Laz Comité d'Animation (events committee) (in French)
• Mayors of Finistère Association (in French)