The Celtic Regions

There is some debate as to what constitutes Celtic Europe today.  Historically the Celtic peoples were distributed very widely across Europe, but today the remaining strongholds of Celtic languages and cultures are primarily along the Atlantic seaboard.  Just how far these can now be said to extend depends upon one's interpretation of the word 'Celtic'.  Although strictly speaking this is a linguistic term, and should apply specifically to regions where Celtic languages are spoken, to many it has a much broader interpretation and encompasses many other cultural characteristics.

Because of the subjective nature of this issue, we have attempted to avoid being prescriptive in our interpretation of what does and does not constitute Celtic Europe (and should therefore be included within the activities of the Flora Celtica initiative).  We have left this to the local people to decide whether they feel they should be involved.

The key point, which underlies the rationale behind Flora Celtica, is that there are strong cultural, historical and botanical links between the regions and countries along the Atlantic coast of Western Europe.  These connections call for an integrated approach to the study and the promotion of plant uses in those regions, and this is what Flora Celtica aims to provide.