Corsica

(Local Name: Corse) The island of Corsica (French Corse), known to the ancient Greeks as Kalliste, the "Fair One", is a mountainous island in the Mediterranean, 180km/112mi from France and 84km/52mi from Italy. In the south it is separated from the Italian island of Sardinia only by the 11.5km/7mi wide Strait of Bonifacio.

Thanks to its situation and topography Corsica, which has been christened the "Island of Light", offers scenery of great beauty and variety. The coastal areas are similar to the French Riviera, but less spoiled by tourism, with excellent facilities for bathing, water sports and diving. The mountains (highest point Monte Cinto, 2,707m/8,882ft), with their forests, wild gorges and peaks which are snow-capped right into summer, offer ample scope for walkers and climbers as well as for skiing. With an area of 8,722sq.km/3,368sq.mi, a greatest length of 183km/114mi and a greatest breadth of 84km/52mi, Corsica is the fourth largest Mediterranean island (after Sicily, Sardinia and Cyprus). It has a population of 250,000, more than 40% of whom live in the two large towns of Ajaccio in the southwest and Bastia in the northeast, chief towns of the two Corsican départements of Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud.

Geologically Corsica belongs to an ancient land mass, later broken up, of which Sardinia, northeastern Sicily and part of Calabria are also fragments. The island consists for the most part of a mountain massif slashed by deep valleys. In its western half, a region of granites and porphyries, are the jagged peaks of Monte Cinto (2,707m/8,882ft), Paglia d'Orba (2,525m/8,285ft) and the rounded summits of Monte Rotondo (2,625m/8,613ft), Monte d'Oro (2,391m/7,845ft) and Monte Renoso (2,357m/7,733ft). These mighty peaks, all within a relatively small area, combine with the rugged crest ridges, a number of beautiful mountain lakes (Lac de Rotondo, Lac de Nino) and the deep gorges to create a landscape of almost Alpine aspect. The lower reaches of the valleys, now sunk under the sea, form long inlets, flanked by steeply scarped hills, which cut far into the west coast. In the eastern half of the island, where the hills consist of ancient schists, the highest peak, Monte San Pietro, reaches only 1,766m/5,794ft. Below this is a fertile plain, with a regular coastline edged by lagoons (Etang de Biguglia, Etang d'Urbino, Etang de Palo). In the almost rainless summers many rivers dry up altogether; the most important are the Gravone and the Golo.

Most of the land is uncultivated; some 45% is covered by macchia, 17% is under forest, 20% is pastureland and only 5.5% is arable. In spite of the fertility of the soil most of the island's food has to be imported from the mainland. The main crops are cereals, fruit and tobacco, together with olives, figs, citrus fruits and sweet chestnuts. In the coastal regions peaches, almonds, olives, oranges, lemons, figs, cactuses, eucalyptus trees and palms grow up to 500m/1,640ft, sweet chestnuts to 800 /2,600ft, Corsican pines to 1,200m/3,900ft and beeches to 1,800m/5,900ft; above this the flora is Alpine. As a result of many forest fires the mountain forests (pines and beeches) are now confined to a few high valleys.

Originally the Corsicans were probably a mixture of Iberians and Ligurians, with later infusions of Phoenician, Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Spanish, Moorish, Italian and French blood. The alien rule to which the island was subjected for so long gave rise to a feeling of dependence, and has also fuelled a striving towards independence and a separatist movement. The Corsican language, too - a Central Italian dialect - has become the expression of an independent Corsican culture (although the official language is French).

In political and economic matters a predominant role is played by large family groupings or clans, who choose their parliamentary representatives through a system of electoral lists.

The nature of its topography gives Corsica a wide range of climatic variations. Winter temperatures in the coastal regions, averaging 14 C/57 F, are distinctly higher than on the Côte d'Azur, the climate of which is comparable. In the height of summer, notwithstanding Corsica's insular situation, it can be very hot (average 25 C/77 F), so that the best time for a visit is in May, June or September. Spring comes to the south coast as early as the end of February or beginning of March. In the hills, however, the climate is considerably harsher, and the pattern of snowfall and snow-melt is similar to that of the Alps, so that many roads in the mountains may be impassable from October until May. In summer the cooler climate of the mountainous regions of the interior can be agreeable.

Archeological evidence has shown that Corsica was settled from the Early Neolithic period. The original inhabitants, a mixture of Iberians and Ligurians, were followed by Phocaeans, who founded Alalia (later known as Aleria) on the east side of the island, and then by Etruscans and Carthaginians. In 259 B.C. the Roman conquest of Corsica began, but in face of the continuing resistance of the inhabitants took many years to complete. The mountainous and inhospitable island became a place of exile for distinguished Romans, among them the philosopher Seneca, who spent more than six years here. The fall of the Western Roman Empire was followed by the arrival successively of Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Franks and Saracens. In 1070 Pisa gained control of the island, followed in 1284 by the Genoese, who, through their governors, pursued a deliberate policy of exploitation. In spite of several risings (revolt of the "Terre du Commun" in 1358, fight for liberation led by Sampiero Corso in 1564) the Corsicans managed to break free from the Genoese only in the 18th century, when a German adventurer, Theodor Freiherr von Neuhof, was appointed king; but although he carried out a number of reforms he was compelled by shortage of funds and disagreements with local leaders to leave the island after only eight months. In 1755 the Corsicans elected Pasquale Paoli as "General of the Nation". Paoli gave the island a popular constitution and an effective administration, suppressed the practice of the vendetta, established schools and a Corsican university, and promoted agriculture and trade. The Genoese were left in possession only of Bastia, and in 1768 ceded the island to France.After overcoming initial resistance the French finally defeated the Corsican independence movement in the battle of Ponte Nuovo in 1769 - the year in which Napoleon was born in Ajaccio. After the outbreak of the French Revolution Paoli, who had fled to Britain, was elected by the National Assembly as President of Corsica. In 1793, however, suspected of aiming at secession from France, he was summoned to appear before the Convention in Paris and appealed to Britain for help. In the following year British forces drove out the French; but when the British authorities failed to grant the hoped-for independence and installed a British viceroy Paoli retired to Britain, where he died in 1807. Corsica was reconquered by Napoleon in 1796 and has since then remained part of France.

The two world wars took a heavy toll, and the deterioration in the island's economy led to increased emigration. Compared with the island's present population of 250,000 (only 136,000 of whom are Corsicans, the rest being Frenchmen from the mainland or the former French colonies) there are now some 500,000 Corsicans in mainland France, 200,000 of them in Marseilles alone. Some emigrants have gone even farther afield, to such countries as Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

In 1974 the island was divided into the two départements of Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud, and in 1982 Corsica was given a special status, unique in the history of the French regions, which went a long way towards the ideal of an autonomous administration by establishing a Corsican regional assembly, consisting of 51 members, 28 right, 10 left and 13 nationalist.

The Corsicans draw their income from their traditional farming activities (cereals, fruit, sheep and goat rearing) and from the tourist trade. In 1988 there were more than 1.5million visitors to the island. The Corsican economy, however, is in a state of crisis, with a cost of living some 15% above the French average in spite of large subsidies from the French government. The millions of francs granted in subsidies seem to get lost on the way to their destination: thus premium petrol sent from France to Corsica is reduced by 30 centimes a liter, but the price to the Corsican consumer is higher than in France.

There are many sport facilities in Corsica. All the larger places have facilities for water sports and sailing, surfing and diving schools. For riders there are over 1,000km/600miles of riding tracks and numerous riding clubs and stables. The shooting season is from the beginning of September to the beginning of January until the end of February, and there is fishing in the Corsican rivers with permits issued by local angling clubs. Other activities available are caving, flying and gliding. There are also facilities for tennis and minigolf.

Corsica has more than 50 peaks over 2,000 m/6,500ft. Climbs are organized by the Corsican climbing club, I Montagnoli Corsi, 11 Boulevard Sampiero, Ajaccio.

A waymarked long-distance trail (chemin de grande randonnée), with a total length of 173km/107miles, runs through the center of the island from Calenzana, near Calvi, in the northwest to Zonza in the southeast.

It is now possible to sail down the Tavignano in rubber dinghies from Corte. Côte d'Argent For information apply to Base du Tavignano, Rafting Ernella, RN200 Giuncaggio, F-20251 Piedicorte di Caggio.

There are facilities for skiing (with lifts) at Haut-Asco, Ghisoni and the Col de Vergio, and for ski trekking (langlauf) at Evisa (hotels), Bastelica, Zicavo and Quenza.