LORIENT, a maritime town of western France, capital of an arrondissement in the department of Morbihan, on the right bank of the Scorff at its confluence with the Blavet, 34 m. W. by N. of Vannes by rail. Pop. (1931) 38,676.
Lorient took the place of Port Louis as the port of the Blavet. The latter stands on the site of an ancient hamlet fortified dur ing the wars of the League and handed over by Philip Emmanuel, duke of Morcoeur, to the Spaniards. After the Treaty of Vervins it was restored to France, and received its name of Port Louis under Richelieu. Some Breton merchants trading with the Indies established themselves first at Port Louis, but in 1628 built their warehouses on the other bank. The Compagnie des Indes Orien tales, created in 1664, took possession of these, giving them the name of l'Orient. The importance of the Compagnie des Indes waned after the English conquest of India, and in 1770 its prop erty was ceded to the State. In 1782 the town was purchased by Louis XVI. from its owners, the Rohan-Guemene family.
The town is modern and regularly built. It is one of the five maritime prefectures in France and the first port for naval con struction in the country. The naval port to the east of the town is formed by the channel of the Scorff, on the right bank of which the chief naval establishments are situated. A floating bridge con
nects the right bank with the peninsula of Caudan formed by the union of the Scorff and Blavet. Here are the shipbuilding yards. The commercial port to the south of the town consists of an outer tidal port protected by a jetty, and of an inner dock, both lined by fine quays planted with trees. It separates the older part of the town, surrounded by fortifications from a newer quarter. The trade in fresh fish, sardines, oysters (which are reared near Lor ient) and tinned vegetables is important, and the manufacture of basketwork, rope, nets, etc., tin-boxes and ice, and the preparation of preserved sardines and vegetables are carried on. The roadstead is the estuary of the Blavet accessible to the largest vessels; the entrance is 3 or 4 m. S. from Lorient. In the middle of the channel is the granite rock of St. Michel, occupied by a powder magazine. Opposite it, on the right bank of the Blavet, is the mouth of the river Ter, with fish and oyster breeding establishments from which io millions of oysters are annually obtained. The roadstead is provided with six lighthouses.