Capital	Ajaccio
Area	8,680 km²
Regional President	Camille de Rocca-Serra
Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density	272,000 260,196 30/km²
Arrondissements	5
Cantons	52
Communes	360
Départements	Corse-du-Sud Haute-Corse

Corsica (Corsican: Corsica; French: Corse) is the fourth largest country in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily, Sardinia, and Cyprus). It is located west of Italy, southeast of France, and north of the island of Sardinia. It forms part of the French Republic, and is known as the birthplace of Napoleon Buonaparte. File links The following pages link to this file: Corsica Maure User:Liberlogos/Le Grand Fourre-Tout Categories: French région flag images ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Ajaccio ( Corsican: Aiacciu) is a city and commune of France, préfecture ( capital) of the département of Corse-du-Sud and, since 1810 capital of the région of Corsica. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... In France, the president of the regional council is the elected official who heads the conseil régional of a région, a state-level territory. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the album by Prince, see 1999 (album) 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ... An arrondissement is an administrative division in some francophone countries: France Paris Main article: Arrondissements of Paris The city of Paris, in France is divided into 20 arrondissements. ... The canton is an administrative division of France. ... The commune is an administrative division of France. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. ... Corse-du-Sud is a French département. ... Haute-Corse is a French département. ... Credit(s): fr:Utilisateur:Rinaldum Source: stolen from french wikipedia (fr:Image:Carte Localisation Région France Corse. ... Corsican (Corsu or Lingua Corsa) is a Romance language spoken on the island of Corsica ( France), alongside French, which is the official language. ... A country, a land, or a state, is a geographical area that connotes an independent political entity, with its own government, administration, laws, often a constitution, police, military, tax rules, and population, who are one anothers countrymen. ... The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... Sardinia (Sardigna, Sardinna or Sardinnia in the Sardinian language, Sardegna in Italian, Sardenya in Catalan), is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily is the largest), between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, south of Corsica. ... Sardinia (Sardigna, Sardinna or Sardinnia in the Sardinian language, Sardegna in Italian, Sardenya in Catalan), is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily is the largest), between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, south of Corsica. ... Bonaparte as general, by Antoine-Jean Gros. ...

Geography

Politically, Corsica is governed as a région of France, though there are significant local movements calling for greater autonomy or independence. It has 260,196 inhabitants, and an area of 8,682km². There are some political points which can be directly treated regardless of France if they consider island development or tourism development. France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common...

With 1000km of littoral and more than 200 beaches, Corsica is largely mountainous too, which cumlinates to 2710m with Monte Cintu and 50 other summits of more than 2000m. The island has a natural park (Parc Naturel Régional de Corse), which protects thousands of rare animal and plant species. It was created in 1972 and includes the Golfe de Porto, the Réserve Naturelle de Scandola (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some of the highest peaks on the island. This park is protected and can't be reached on foot, but sumptuous sail are available in order to discover unique landscapes. UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ...

Main towns: (Corsican names)

Ajaccio (Aiacciu) – also known by its Latin name of Ajax

Bastia (Bastia)

Corte (Corti)

Sartene (Sartè)

Other towns and villages: Ajaccio ( Corsican: Aiacciu) is a city and commune of France, préfecture ( capital) of the département of Corse-du-Sud and, since 1810 capital of the région of Corsica. ... Location within France The yacht harbour. ... Corte (Corsican Corti) in is a town and a commune in the Haute-Corse département in central Corsica, in France. ... Sartene (Corsican: Sartè), is a town and commune of Southern Corsica, in the Corse-du-Sud département, in France. ...

Saint-Florent (San Fiurenzu)

Calvi (Calvi)

Porto-Vecchio (Porti Vechju)

Bonifacio (Bunifaziu)

Appietto (Appiettu)

Calvi is a small town and commune of the Haute-Corse (2B) département, in France. ... Porto-Vecchio is a town and commune of the Corse-du-Sud département, on the island of Corsica, in France. ... Bonifacio (Bunifaziu in Corsican) is a town and commune of approximately 4,000 people near the southern tip of the island of Corsica, in the département of Corse_du_Sud, France. ...

History

The birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte

Because of the strategic position it occupies in the Mediterranean, Corsica has long been considered significant as a platform for military operations, particularly during the several centuries of violent conflict between Italy and France. During those times, possible unification with the neighbouring island of Sardinia was seen as a dangerous eventuality by many European states, because it would have granted to the ruler of the islands a dominant position in the Mediterranean Sea. Download high resolution version (427x640, 68 KB)Napoleon birth house in Corsica. ... Download high resolution version (427x640, 68 KB)Napoleon birth house in Corsica. ... Sardinia (Sardigna, Sardinna or Sardinnia in the Sardinian language, Sardegna in Italian, Sardenya in Catalan), is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily is the largest), between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, south of Corsica. ...

The city state of Genoa held sway over the island for centuries before giving Corsica to France in 1768 to help pay off a debt. An important figure in Corsican history is Pasquale Paoli (1725-1807), the Corsican general and patriot, who struggled for Corsican independence, first against Genoa, then against France. It's essentially with him that the head of Moor ("Testa Maura") become (1760) the emblem of Corsica. Location within Italy Flag of Genoa Christopher Columbus monument in Piazza Aquaverde Genoa (Italian Genova (jeno-vah), Genoese Zena (zaynah), French Gênes) is a city and a seaport in northern Italy, the capital of Liguria. ... Pasquale Paoli (1725 - February 5, 1807), was a Corsican patriot and military leader. ...

Corsica is also the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was born into a family in the minor Corsican nobility. Corsica was under French control at the time, and Corsican nobles were offered the ability to gain French titles if they could prove their genealogy sufficiently. In the attempt to do that, Napoleon’s parents travelled to court in France, and like many other Corsican nobles, sent their son to school there. Bonaparte as general, by Antoine-Jean Gros. ...

Administration

The regional capital of Corsica is Ajaccio (Corsican: Aiacciu). The region is divided in two départements: Corse-du-Sud and Haute-Corse. These two departments were created on September 15, 1975 by dividing up the former department of Corse. Ajaccio ( Corsican: Aiacciu) is a city and commune of France, préfecture ( capital) of the département of Corse-du-Sud and, since 1810 capital of the région of Corsica. ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas régions. ... Corse-du-Sud is a French département. ... Haute-Corse is a French département. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

Recent attempts to gain greater autonomy for the region have failed. A local referendum held in 2003 was voted down by a narrow margin. 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Economy

Tourism plays a major role in Corsican economy. The island's pleasant climate and the beautiful mountain and sea landscapes make it a popular destination among the French and other Western Europeans. However the island has not had the same level of intensive development as some other parts of the Mediterranean and is thus as relatively unspoilt. Tourism is particularly concentrated on the area around Porto Vecchio and Calvi in the west of the island, and Bonifacio in the south.

Politics

Satellite image of Corsica, December 7, 2001 (NASA image)

Corsica is currently governed as a region of France. There are several movements on the island calling for some degree of Corsican independence from France, although some are rather in favor of autonomy rather than full independence. Generally speaking, autonomist proposals focus on the promotion of the Corsican language, more power for local governments, and some exemptions from national taxes additional to those that currently apply to Corsica. Download high resolution version (492x822, 76 KB)Corsica, satellite image This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASAs Terra satellite, on December 7, 2001. ... Download high resolution version (492x822, 76 KB)Corsica, satellite image This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASAs Terra satellite, on December 7, 2001. ... is divided into 26 régions, further subdivided into départements. ... Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ... A tax is an involuntary fee paid by individuals or businesses to a state, or to functional equivalents of a state, including tribes, secessionist movements or revolutionary movements. ...

The French government is opposed to full independence, fearing it would threaten the unity of France, but has at times shown support for some level of autonomy. There is significant support on the island for proposals for greater autonomy, but in votes held on the island movements calling for full independence have not gained a majority of support.

Some groups who claim to support Corsican independence have carried out a violent campaign since the 1970's including bombings and a few assassination attempts, usually targeting pieds-noirs and other non-Corsicans or buildings and officials representing the French government. The peaceful occupation of a pied-noir vineyard in Aléria in 1975 marked a turning point when the French government responded with overwhelming force, eliciting sympathy for the rebels. However, events such as the murder of prefect Claude Érignac on February 6, 1998 (for which Yvan Colonna was arrested five years later) have only served to convince many in Corsica as well as in the French government and the general French population that the nationalists cannot be trusted with more autonomy. Recent attacks on Muslims have reinforced this opinion. This article is about explosive devices. ... Jack Ruby murdered the alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in a very public manner. ... Pied-noir is a term for the former French colonists of North Africa, especially Algeria. ... The following is a list of the 236 communes of the Haute-Corse département in France. ... The word prefect can refer to any of a number of types of official, including: in Latin, a praefectus was a high-ranking military or civil official in the Roman Empire. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Some of the "independentist" groups are known to practice extortion and other intimidatory tactics, not dissimilar from mafia activity in Sicily and southern Italy. Non-Corsican homeowners may be threatened with the destroying of their home, to be avoided only through the payment of a ransom. Journalists writing articles critical of the armed groups are threatened. Prosecutions are made difficult by a pervasive "law of silence". It is sometimes suggested that such behavior is directly related to longstanding cultural traditions of banditry in the rugged interior of the island. In 2000, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin agreed to grant an increased degree of autonomy to Corsica in exchange for a cessation of violence. The proposed autonomy for Corsica would include greater protection for the Corsican language (Corsu), the traditional language of the island, which, like other regional or minority languages in France, had in the past been discouraged. However, the plans were opposed by the Gaullist opposition in the French National Assembly, on the grounds that they would lead to calls for autonomy also for other regions (such as Brittany, Provence and Alsace), and eventually threaten the unity of France as a country. Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person obtains money, behaviour, or other goods and/or services from another by wrongfully threatening or inflicting harm to his person, reputation, or property. ... Intimidation is the act of making others do what one wants through fear. ... The Mafia, also referred to as La Cosa Nostra (Italian, variously translated as This Thing Of Ours or Our Thing), is the collective name of various secret organizations in Italy, Sicily, Corsica and the United States. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is a list of French prime ministers. ... Lionel Jospin (born 12 July 1937) is a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1997-2002. ... Corsican (Corsu or Lingua Corsa) is a Romance language spoken on the island of Corsica ( France), alongside French, which is the official language. ... A regional language is a language spoken in a part of a country - it may be a small area, a federal state or province, or a wider area. ... A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a country. ... Gaullism is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Charles de Gaulle. ... The Palais Bourbon, front The French National Assembly (French: Assembly national) is one of the two houses of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. ... Traditional coat of arms This article is about the historical duchy and French province, as well as the cultural area of Brittany. ... Provence is a former Roman province and is now a region of southeastern France, located on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to Frances border with Italy. ... Capital Strasbourg Area 8,280 km² Regional President Adrien Zeller Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 1,793,000 1,734,145 209/km² Arrondissements 13 Cantons 75 Communes 903 Départements Bas-Rhin Haut-Rhin Alsace (French: Alsace; Alsatian/German: Elsaß) is a région and also a province of France. ...

In a referendum on July 6, 2003, a narrow majority of Corsican voters opposed a project from the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin and interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy that would have modified the political institutions of the island and granted them greater autonomy.
A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jean-Pierre Raffarin Jean-Pierre Raffarin  listen (born August 3, 1948) is a French conservative politician. ... Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bosca (born January 28, 1955, in Paris, 17th arrondissement), simply known as Nicolas Sarkozy (  French pronunciation), is a French politician. ...

France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... Tricolore of France Created by User:Anthony S. Tsoumbris French Tricolore flag File links The following pages link to this file: Austria Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam A.S. Roma A.C. Milan Belgium Czech Republic Cyprus Economy of the Czech Republic Corsica Chelsea F.C. European Union Estonia European... Capital Strasbourg Area 8,280 km² Regional President Adrien Zeller Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 1,793,000 1,734,145 209/km² Arrondissements 13 Cantons 75 Communes 903 Départements Bas-Rhin Haut-Rhin Alsace (French: Alsace; Alsatian/German: Elsaß) is a région and also a province of France. ... Capital Bordeaux Area 41,309 km² Regional President Alain Rousset ( PS) (since 1998) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 6th) 3,049,000 2,908,359 74/km² (2004) Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Départements Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Aquitaine... This article is about the French administrative région of Auvergne. ... Missing image Location of Bourgogne Capital Dijon Area 31,582 km² Regional President François Patriat (PS) (since 2004) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 16th) 1,616,000 1,610,067 51/km² (2004) Arrondissements 15 Cantons 174 Communes 2,045 Départements Yonne Côte-dOr... Missing image Location of Bretagne Capital Rennes Area 27,209 km² Regional President Jean-Yves Le Drian (PS) (since 2004) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 7th) 3,011,000 2,906,197 111/km² (2004) Arrondissements 15 Cantons 201 Communes 1,268 Départements Côtes-dArmor... Capital Orléans Area 39,151 km² Regional President Michel Sapin Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 2,480,000 2,440,329 62/km² Arrondissements 20 Cantons 198 Communes 842 Départements Cher Eure-et-Loir Indre Indre-et-Loire Loir-et-Cher Loiret Centre (Val de Loire) is... Capital Châlons-en-Champagne Area 25,606 km² Regional President Jean-Paul Bachy Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 1,342,363 52/km² Arrondissements 15 Cantons 146 Communes 1,947 Départements Aube Ardennes Haute-Marne Marne Champagne-Ardenne is a French région. ... Capital Besançon Area 16,202 km² Regional President Raymond Forni (PS) (since 2004) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 20th) 1,133,000 1,117,059 70/km² (2004) Arrondissements 8 Cantons 116 Communes 1,786 Départements Doubs Haute-Saône Jura Territoire de Belfort Franche-Comt... This article is about the French administrative région of Île-de-France. ... Capital Montpellier Area 27,376 km² Regional President Georges Frêche ( PS) (since 2004) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 10th) 2,458,000 2,295,648 90/km² (2004) Arrondissements 14 Cantons 186 Communes 1,545 Départements Aude Gard Hérault Lozère Pyrénées-Orientales... Capital Limoges Area 16,942 km² Regional President Jean-Paul Denanot (PS) (since 2004) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 22nd) 712,000 710,939 42/km² (2004) Arrondissements 8 Cantons 106 Communes 747 Départements Corrèze Creuse Haute-Vienne Limousin (Occitan: Lemosin) is one of the 26... Capital Metz Area 23,547 km² Regional President Jean-Pierre Masseret Population  - 2005 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 2,310,376 98/km² Arrondissements 19 Cantons 157 Communes 2,337 Départements Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges Lorraine ( German: Lothringen) is a historical area in present-day northeast France. ... Capital Toulouse Area 45,348 km² Regional President Martin Malvy (PS) (since 1998) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 8th) 2,687,000 2,551,687 59/km² (2004) Arrondissements 22 Cantons 293 Communes 3,020 Départements Ariège Aveyron Gers Haute-Garonne Hautes-Pyrénées Lot Tarn Tarn-et-Garonne... Capital Lille Area 12,414 km² Regional President Daniel Percheron (PS) (since 2001) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 4th) 4,026,000 3,996,588 324/km² (2004) Arrondissements 13 Cantons 156 Communes 1,546 Départements Nord Pas-de-Calais Nord-Pas de Calais is one of... Région Basse-Normandie Missing image Coat of Arms of Basse-Normandie Details Information Capital: Caen Population  - Total  - Density 1,422,193 (1999 census) 1,443,000 (1. ... Région Haute-Normandie Missing image Blason de la Haute-Normandie Détails Information Capital: Rouen Population  - Total  - Density 1 780 192 (1999) 145 /km² Area 12 317 km² Arrondissements 6 Cantons 112 Communes 1 420 President of the regional council Alain Le Vern Départements Categories: Regions of France... Région Pays-de-la-Loire Information Capital: Nantes Population  - Total  - Density 3 222 061 (1999) 100 /km² Area 32 082 km² Arrondissements 17 Cantons 203 Communes 1 502 President of the regional council Jacques Auxiette Départements Categories: Regions of France | Stub ... Capital Amiens Area 19,399 km² Regional President Claude Gewerc Population  - 2005 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 1,857,481 96/km² Arrondissements 13 Cantons 129 Communes 2,292 Départements Aisne Oise Somme For use in music, see Picardy third. ... Categories: Stub | Regions of France ... Capital Marseilles Area 31,400 km² Regional President Michel Vauzelle ( PS) (since 1998) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 3rd) 4,666,000 4,506,151 149/km² (2004) Arrondissements 18 Cantons 237 Communes 963 Départements Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-Maritimes Bouches-du-Rhône Hautes-Alpes... Capital Lyon Area 43,698 km² Regional President Jean-Jack Queyranne ( PS) (since 2004) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 2nd) 5,893,000 5,645,407 135/km² (2004) Arrondissements 25 Cantons 335 Communes 2,879 Départements Ain Ardèche Drôme Isère Loire Rhône... Région doutre-mer, or Overseas regions, is a recent designation given to the départements doutre-mer which have similar powers to those of the régions of metropolitan France. ... Réunion is an island, as well as an overseas département (département doutre-mer, or DOM) of France, located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 km southwest of Mauritius. ...

See also

• List of active autonomist and secessionist movements

This is a list of currently active, autonomist and secessionist movements around the world. ...

External links

• PhotoGlobe - Corsica (http://www.photoglobe.info/db_corsica/index.html) A collection of photos of Corsica together with GPS-based positions

• CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/07/06/corsica.poll/index.html) CNN coverage of rejection of autonomy proposals in 2003
• Calvi (http://www.calvi-location.fr) a presentation of Calvi (Haute-Corse)
• Corsica-Isula (http://www.corsica-isula.com) very helpful website on Corsica
• Visiting Corsica (with maps and photos) (http://france-for-visitors.com/corsica/corsica.html)
• Photos of Corsicamore (http://www.corsicarobase.com) than 800