▁numerous , ▁the ▁French ▁government ▁tried ▁to ▁create ▁wider ▁regions ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁For ▁the ▁Bre ton ▁national ists , ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁occasion ▁to ▁re create ▁Brit t any ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁and ▁administrative ▁entity , ▁but ▁the ▁new ▁region ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁econom ically ▁efficient . ▁N antes ▁and ▁its ▁département , ▁Lo ire - At lant ique , ▁raised ▁concerns ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁off - center ed , ▁more ▁integrated ▁with ▁the ▁Lo ire ▁Valley ▁than ▁with ▁the ▁Bre ton ▁pen ins ula . ▁The ▁French ▁government ▁and ▁local ▁polit icians ▁also ▁fe ared ▁that ▁N antes , ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁population ▁and ▁its ▁former ▁Bre ton ▁capital ▁status , ▁would ▁have ▁maintained ▁a ▁harm ful ▁competition ▁with ▁R ennes ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁regional ▁institutions ▁and ▁invest ments . ▁ ▁Several ▁draft s ▁for ▁French ▁regions ▁had ▁been ▁proposed ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁and ▁the ▁definit ive ▁regions ▁were ▁drawn ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁The ▁new ▁Brit t any ▁had ▁four ▁départ ements , ▁and ▁Lo ire - At lant ique ▁formed ▁the ▁Pays ▁de ▁la ▁Lo ire ▁region ▁together ▁with ▁parts ▁of ▁An jou , ▁Maine ▁and ▁Po it ou . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁the ▁regions ▁received ▁their ▁present ▁compet encies , ▁with ▁an ▁elected ▁regional ▁council . ▁Since ▁then , ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Brit t any ▁has ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁council ▁and ▁administrative ▁bodies . ▁ ▁Re un ification ▁ ▁When