Despite triggering the Corsican Crisis in Britain, whose government gave secret aid, no foreign military support came for the Corsicans. Game such as wild boar (Cingale, Singhjari) is popular. Corsican (Corsu), a minority language that is closely related to medieval Tuscan (Toscano), has a better prospect of survival than most other French regional languages: Corsican is the second most widely spoken language, after French and ahead of standard Italian. This division was due to the massive immigration from Tuscany which took place in Corsica during the lower Middle Ages: as a result, the Cismuntanu became very similar to the Tuscan dialects, being part of the Italo-Dalmatian language group, while the Ultramuntanu could keep its original characteristics which make it much more similar to a Southern Romance language like Sardinian (Sardu). On the Tyrrhenian Sea of western Mediterranean Sea, Corsica is a French territory that lies 160 kilometers southwest of French Riviera, 82 kilometers west of Tuscany coast and 14 kilometers north of Sardinia in Italy. French is the official language, but Corsican is also spoken. It is also the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily, Sardinia and Cyprus. Before 1975, Corsica was a départment of the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The Corsican red deer was re-introduced after it was extinct due to over hunting. [5], In the 16th century, the island entered into the fight between Spain and France for the supremacy in Italy. Corsica, French Corse, official name Collectivité Territoriale de Corse, collectivité territoriale (territorial collectivity) of France and island in the Mediterranean Sea embracing (from 1976) the départements of Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud. All airports are served by regional French airline Air Corsica, as well as Air France which mainly offers connections to Paris-Orly. [3], The crushing defeat experienced by Pisa in 1284 in the Battle of Meloria against Genoa had among its consequences the end of the Pisan rule and the beginning of the Genoese influence in Corsica:[3] this was contested initially by the King of Aragon, who in 1296 had received from the Pope the investiture over Sardinia and Corsica. In addition, legislation granting Corsica a greater degree of autonomy was passed. The island produced sheep, honey, resin and wax, and exported many slaves, not well considered because of their fierce and rebellious character. [26], The majority of the foreign immigrants in Corsica come from the Maghreb (particularly Moroccans, who made up 33.5% of all immigrants in Corsica at the 2011 census), and from Southern Europe (particularly Portuguese, 22.7% of immigrants on the island), and Italians (13.7%). Some groups that claim to support Corsican independence, such as the National Liberation Front of Corsica, have carried out a violent campaign since the 1970s that includes bombings and assassinations, usually targeting buildings and officials representing the French government or Corsicans themselves for political reasons. The island is divided into three major ecological zones by altitude. About 50 million years ago sedimentary rock was pressed against this granite, forming the schists of the eastern side. The island's climate, mountains, and coastlines make it popular among tourists. However, the issue of Corsican autonomy and greater powers for the Corsican Assembly continues to hold sway over Corsican politics. 1989. Although the region is divided into two administrative departments, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud, their respective regional and departmental territorial collectivities were merged on 1 January 2018 to form the single territorial collectivity of Corsica. At the highest elevation locations, small areas with a subarctic climate (Dsc, Dfc) and the rare cold-summer Mediterranean climate (Csc) can be found. [31][32] Therefore, due to the differences between the main dialectal varieties, many linguists classify Corsican as an Italo-Dalmatian language,[33] while others consider it a Southern Romance one.[34]. After a brief occupation by the Carthaginians, colonization by the ancient Greeks, and an only slightly longer occupation by the Etruscans, it was incorporated by the Roman Republic at the end of the First Punic War and, with Sardinia, in 238 BC became a province of the Roman Republic. The island is 183 kilometers long, 83 kilometers wide, and is surrounded by 1,000 kilometers of coastline. There are other species endemic to Corsica especially in the upper mountain ranges, i.e. While Corsicans emigrated globally, especially to many South American countries, many chose to move within the French Empire which acted as a conduit for emigration and eventual return, as many young Corsican men could find better job opportunities in the far corners of the Empire where many other French hesitated to go. The GR 20, a long-distance European trail (one of the toughest around) snakes over the island. Despite various calls for independence from France, polls show Corsicans are opposed to full independence, and a referendum in 2003 was rejected. After the Italian armistice in September 1943, Italian and Free French Forces pushed the Germans out of the island, making Corsica the first French Department to be freed. Low elevation areas of the island experience a Mediterranean climate in which summers are ho… 1999. 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