Recent Corsican history has been largely shaped around the growingnationalist movement within the region. A regionalist movement in the 1960s preceded this (Corsica was adepartment of theProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region until 1975). Followingan armed standoff between French authorities and Corsican autonomists in 1975, and the harsh response from French authorities, anongoing armed conflict began between French forces andCorsican nationalist guerrilla and paramilitary groups, most notably theNational Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC) andits many descendants. War-like violence continued until 2014, when a truce was announced between the FLNC-Union of Combatants, the largest faction of the Corsican nationalists, and the French government. The second largest faction, the FLNC-22 October, signed a truce in 2016. Violence picked up in 2022 after the murder ofYvan Colonna, a jailed Corsican nationalist, murdered by a prison inmate. Many suspect the French government is involved in the attack, and in 2023 the FLNC-UC and FLNC-22U resumed armed conflict.
Corsica has been occupied since theMesolithic era, otherwise known as the Middle Stone Age. The permanent human presence in Corsica is documented in theNeolithic period from the 6th millennium BC.[4]
After a brief occupation by theCarthaginians,colonization by the ancient Greeks, and an only slightly longer occupation by theEtruscans, it was incorporated by theRoman Republic at the end of theFirst Punic War and, withSardinia, in 238 BC becamea province of theRoman Republic.[5] The Greeks, who built a colony inAléria, considered Corsica as one of the most backward regions of the Roman world. The island produced sheep, honey,resin and wax, and exported many slaves.[5] Moreover, it was known for its cheap wines, exported to Rome, and was used as a place of exile, one of the most famous being the Roman philosopherSeneca.[6]
Corsica was integrated intoRoman Italy byEmperorDiocletian (r. 284–305). Administratively, the island was divided intopagi, which in the Middle Ages became thepievi, the basic administrative units of the island until 1768.[5]
In the fifth century, the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed, and the island was invaded by theVandals and theOstrogoths.[5] Briefly recovered by theByzantine Empire, it soon became part of theKingdom of the Lombards. This made it a dependency of theMarch of Tuscany, which used it as an outpost against theSaracens.[7]Pepin the Short, king of theFranks andCharlemagne's father, expelled the Lombards and nominally granted Corsica toPope Stephen II.[7] In the first quarter of the 11th century,Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion.[7] After that, the island came under the influence of theRepublic of Pisa.[7] Manypolychrome churches which adorn the island date from this period. Corsica also experienced a massive immigration from Tuscany, which gave to the island its presenttoponymy and rendered the language spoken in the northern two-thirds of the island very close to theTuscan dialect.[7] This led to the traditional division of Corsica into two parts, along the main chain of mountains roughly going fromCalvi toPorto-Vecchio: the easternBanda di dentro, orCismonte, more populated, developed, and open to the commerce with Italy, and the westernBanda di fuori, orPomonte, almost deserted, wild and remote.[7]
The defeat experienced by Pisa in 1284 in theBattle of Meloria againstGenoa had among its consequences the end of the Pisan rule and the beginning of the Genoese influence in Corsica:[7] this was contested initially by theKing of Aragon, who in 1296 had received from the Pope the investiture overSardinia and Corsica.[8] A popular revolution against this and the feudal lords, led bySambucuccio d'Alando, got the aid of Genoa. After that, theCismonte was ruled as a league ofcomuni and churches, after the Italian experience.[8] The following 150 years were a period of conflict, when the Genoese rule was contested by Aragon, the local lords, the comuni and the Pope: finally, in 1450 Genoa ceded the administration of the island to its main bank, theBank of Saint George, which brought peace.[9]
In the 16th century, the island entered into the fight between Spain and France for supremacy in Italy.[9] In 1553, aFranco-Ottoman fleetoccupied Corsica, but the reaction ofSpain and Genoa, led byAndrea Doria, reestablished the Genoese supremacy on the island, confirmed by thePeace of Cateau-Cambrésis.[10]Sampiero Corso (Sampiero di Bastelica) would later come to be considered a hero of the island. Their power reinstated, the Genoese did not allow the Corsican nobility to share in the government of the island and oppressed the inhabitants with a heavy tax burden. On the other hand, they introduced thechestnut tree on a large scale, improving the diet of the population, and built achain of towers along the coast to defend Corsica from the attacks of theBarbary pirates from North Africa.[11] The period of peace lasted until 1729, when the refusal to pay taxes by a peasant sparked the general insurrection of the island against Genoa.[12]
The island became known for the large number of mercenary soldiers and officers it produced. In 1743, over 4,600 Corsicans, or 4% of the entire population of the island, were serving as soldiers in various armies (predominantly those of Genoa, Venice, and Spain), making it one of the most militarized societies in Europe.[13]
In 1729, the Corsican Revolution for independence from Genoa began, first led byLuiggi Giafferi and Giacinto Paoli, and later by Paoli's son,Pasquale Paoli. After 26 years of struggle against theRepublic of Genoa, including an ephemeral attempt in 1736 to proclaim an independent Kingdom of Corsica under the German adventurerTheodor von Neuhoff, an independentCorsican Republic was proclaimed in 1755 under the leadership of Pasquale Paoli and remained sovereign until 1769 when the island wasconquered by France.[15]
Following the outbreak of theFrench Revolution in 1789, Pasquale Paoli was able to return to Corsica from exile in Britain. In 1794, he invited British forces underLord Hood to intervene to free Corsica from French rule. Anglo-Corsican forces drove the French from the island and established anAnglo-Corsican Kingdom.[16] Following Spain's entry into the war, the British decided to withdraw from Corsica in 1796.[17]
Saint-Nicolas church inFelicetoCorsicans commemorating the anniversary of the birth ofNapoleon
Despite being the birthplace of the Emperor, the island was slightly neglected by Napoleon's government.[18] In 1814, near the end of theNapoleonic Wars, Corsica was briefly occupied again by British troops. TheTreaty of Bastia gave the British crown sovereignty over the island, but it was later repudiated byLord Castlereagh who insisted that the island should be returned to arestored French monarchy.
After the restoration, the island was further neglected by the French state. Despite the presence of a middle class in Bastia and Ajaccio, Corsica remained an otherwise primitive place, whose economy consisted mainly of subsistence agriculture, and whose population constituted a pastoral society, dominated byclans and the rules ofvendetta. The code of vendetta required Corsicans to seek deadly revenge for offences against their family's honor. Between 1821 and 1852, no fewer than 4,300 murders were perpetrated in Corsica.[19] During the first half of the century, the people of Corsica were still immersed in the Italian cultural world: the bourgeoisie sent children toPisa to study, official acts were enacted in Italian and most books were printed in Italian.[20] Moreover, many islanders sympathised withthe national struggle which was taking place in nearby Italy in those years: several political refugees from the peninsula, likeNiccolò Tommaseo, spent years on the island, while some Corsicans, like CountLeonetto Cipriani [fr;it], took active part in the fights for Italian independence.
Despite all that, during those years the Corsicans began to feel an increasingly strong attachment to France. The reasons for that are manifold: the knowledge of the French language, which thanks to the mandatory primary school started to penetrate among the local youth, the high prestige of French culture, the awareness of being part of a big, powerful state, the possibility of well-paid jobs as civil servants, both in the island, in the mainland and in the colonies, the prospect of serving the French army during the wars for the conquest of the colonial empire, the introduction ofsteamboats, which reduced the travel time between mainland France and the island drastically, and – last but not least – Napoleon himself, whose existence alone constituted an indissoluble link between France and Corsica. Thanks to all these factors by around 1870 Corsica had landed in the French cultural world.[20]
From the 19th century into the mid-20th century, Corsicans also grew closer to the French nation through participation in the French Empire. Compared to much of Metropolitan France, Corsica was poor and many Corsicans emigrated. 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. In many parts of the Empire, Corsicans were strongly represented, such as inSaigon where in 1926 12% of Europeans were from Corsica.[21] Across the French Empire, many Corsicans retained a sense of community by establishing organizations where they would meet regularly, keep one another informed of developments in Corsica, and come to one another's aid in times of need.[22]
During theMay 1958 crisis, the French military command in Algeria mutinied against theFrench Fourth Republic and on 24 May occupied the island in an action calledOpération Corse that led to the collapse of the government; the second phase of the coup attempt,occupying Paris, was cancelled following the establishment of a transitional government underCharles de Gaulle.[25]
In the early morning of 5 May 1976, a series of 21 attacks occurred across the island. These were claimed by a previously unknown group, theNational Liberation Front of Corsica (Fronte di Liberazione Naziunale di a Corsica, FLNC). This group, modeled after the AlgerianNational Liberation Front, carried out a series of guerrilla attacks, mostly bombings, in the name of Corsican nationalism. By the afternoon of 5 May, a series of demands, called the Manifesto of 5 May, was released, expressing desire to detach itself from the French state and pursue the interest of Corsicans, who they claimed had lived under acolonial state since the time of the Genoese. This is considered the beginning of theCorsican conflict.[26]
From 5 May onwards, the FLNC carried out a large number of bomb attacks, ambushes, and other acts of guerrilla warfare against French forces, which they described as “colonial forces”. Notable attacks in the 1970s include the bombing of the Pigno transmitter in Bastia in 1977, thebombing of the air base in Solenzara in 1978, and the bombing of 23 buildings inParis in one day in 1979.[27]
In 1981, the FLNC called a truce and supportedFrançois Mitterrand’s socialist campaign for president in order to open discussion with the socialist party in hopes of securing a Corsican autonomy process that would lead to eventual independence. The resultingDefferre Agreements were marked with instability, including anattempted assassination of sitting president Giscard shortly before the1981 election. The FLNC achieved the reopening of theUniversity of Corsica, but withdrew from the agreements in early 1982. The following agreements between Corsican autonomists and other government officials resulted in the creation of theCorsican Assembly and other government institutions.[27][28][29]
Following the departure of the FLNC from the agreements and the return of violence, the FLNC carried out larger operations in both number and scale; the 1980s is generally considered the deadliest period of the conflict.
In May 1988, The FLNC signed a truce with the government similar to the 1981 truce. This caused a rift in the movement and would result in a division within the FLNC. The pro-truce “habituels” led byAlain Orsoni, formed theFLNC-Canal Habituel (Canale Abituale, FLNC-CA). The anti-truce “historiques” formed theFLNC-Canal Historique (Canale Storicu, FLNC-CS). A smaller third split calledResistenza, led by members unhappy with both of the other two movements, also formed. These three groups engaged in warfare between each other for most of the 1990s. Resistenza would gradually lower their arms before becoming a pro-peace organization in 1996. The FLNC-CA would announce its self-dissolution in 1996, which would result in a split amongst pro-war members creating the FLNC-5 May. The FLNC-CS participated infailed negotiations with the French government in 1996. Militants associated with the FLNC-5M and FLNC-CA carried out an assassination of prefectClaude Érignac in 1998.
In 1999, the FLNC-Union of Combatants (Unione di Cumbattenti, FLNC-UC) formed out of a union between the FLNC-CS, FLNC-5M, an FLNC-CS splinter group called Fronte Ribellu, and a minor group called Clandestinu. In 2002, the FLNC-UC split, with more radical members forming the FLNC-22 October (22 Uttrovi, FLNC-22U). These groups led the nationalist in the conflict (with numerous minor groups) until 2014 and 2016, when the groups respectively signed truces.
In 2022, Corsican nationalistYvan Colonna was killed by an inmate. This resulted in largewaves of unrest in Corsica which reignited the conflict.[30]
Corsica was formed about 250 million years ago with the uplift of agranite backbone on the western side. About 50 million years ago sedimentary rock was pressed against this granite, forming theschists of the eastern side. It is the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean, a "mountain in the sea".[34]
The island is 183 km (114 mi) long at its longest, 83 km (52 mi) wide at its widest, has 1,000 km (620 mi) of coastline, with more than 200 beaches such asParaguano. Corsica is very mountainous, withMonte Cinto as the highest peak at 2,706 m (8,878 ft), and around 120 other summits of more than 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Mountains comprise two-thirds of the island, forming a single chain. Forests make up 20% of the island.
It is also the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean, afterSicily,Sardinia andCyprus.
Corsica has nature reserves covering about 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) of the total surface area of 8,680 km2 (3,350 sq mi), roughly 40% of the total area. Primarily located in its interior isParc naturel régional de Corse.[35] Corsica also contains theGR20, one of Europe's most notablehiking trails.
The island is 90 km (56 mi) fromTuscany in Italy and 170 km (110 mi) from theCôte d'Azur in France. It is separated fromSardinia to the south by theStrait of Bonifacio, which has a width of 11 km (6.8 mi) at its narrowest point.[35]
The Bay ofCalvi: Corsica is the most mountainous Mediterranean island.
The station ofSari-Solenzara records the highest year-round temperatures in Metropolitan France, with an annual average of 16.41 °C over the 1981–2010 period. The average amount of sunshine received annually was 2,715 hours in the period 2008–2016.
Climate data forSari-Solenzara, south-eastern part of island
The island is divided into four major ecological zones, by altitude.[38] Below 600 metres (2,000 ft) is the coastal zone's mildMediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. The area's natural vegetation is sparse Mediterranean forest, scrubland, and shrubs. The coastal lowlands are part of theTyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forestsecoregion, in which forests and woodlands ofevergreensclerophylloaks predominate, chieflyholm oak (Quercus ilex) andcork oak (Quercus suber). Much of the coastal lowlands have been cleared for agriculture, grazing and logging; these activities have reduced the forest area considerably.[citation needed]
Between 600 and 1,800 m (2,000 and 5,900 ft) is a temperatemontane zone. The mountains are cooler and wetter, and home to theCorsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion. This region supports diverse forests ofoak,pine, and broadleaf deciduous trees, with vegetation more typical of northern Europe. The population lives predominantly below 900 m (3,000 ft), with only shepherds and hikers from 600 to 900 m (2,000 to 3,000 ft).
The subalpine zone, located between 1,750 and 2,100 m (5,740 and 6,890 ft) is characterized by the presence of small trees and shrubs, especially ferns, and heaths.[citation needed]
The elevation above 1,800 to 2,700 m (5,900 to 8,900 ft) is the highalpine zone. Vegetation is sparse, with high winds and frequent cloud cover. This zone is uninhabited.[citation needed]
There is considerable birdlife in Corsica. One famous example is thebearded vulture, orLammergeier, which (along with the iconicgriffon vulture) serve as environmental "janitors" by scavenging the remains of deceased animals, thus limiting the proliferation of infectious microbes and diseases. Other avian species to be seen include thebarn owl,blue rock thrush,common crane,Corsican nuthatch,golden eagle,greater flamingo,osprey,peregrine falcon,red kite, andstarry bittern. In some cases, Corsica is an isolated portion of a species' distribution; in other cases, it is the furthest point in a species' range. For example, a subspecies ofhooded crow (Corvus cornix cornix) occurs in Corsica, but not anywhere further south.[39]
The island has a natural park (Parc Naturel Régional de Corse, Parcu di Corsica), which protects rare animal and plant species. The park was created in 1972 and includes the Golfe de Porto, theScandola Nature Reserve (aUNESCO World Heritage Site), and some of the highest mountains on the island. Scandola cannot be reached on foot, but people can gain access by boat from the village of Galéria and Porto (Ota). Two endangered subspecies of hoofed mammals, theEuropean mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) andCorsican red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus) inhabit the park. The Corsican red deer was re-introduced after it was extinct due tooverhunting. This Corsican subspecies was the same that survived on Sardinia, so it isendemic. There are other species endemic to Corsica especially in the upper mountain ranges, i.e.Corsican nuthatch,Corsican fire salamander andCorsican brook salamander and many plant subspecies.[citation needed]
Most of the island's native fauna began to die off after the arrival of humans in theMesolithic, around 8000 BC. By theNeolithic, only four small-bodied species, the Corsican giant shrew, the Sardinian pika, the Tyrrhenian field rat, and the Tyrrhenian vole, survived.Praemegaceros had become locally extinct, although a population survived in Sardinia for a longer span of time. The surviving species were subjected to increased hunting pressures from both humans and introduced animals such as thered fox andleast weasel, as well as competition for food from livestock and continental rodent species. However, they remained present on the island until historic times. Their extinction is correlated with the arrival further invasive animals, primarily theblack rat, which arrived with the Carthaginians and the Romans, and with a rise in deforestation during the Roman period.[40][41]
Coinciding with the extinction of Corsica's native fauna, a significant number of exotic species were accidentally or purposefully introduced. Foreign animals arrived in two broad waves, the first during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, followed by a lull until in introductions until a second wave spanning from the Roman period to the present.[40]
A feral population ofbrown bears formed during the medieval period from escaped tamed animals, which was hunted to extinction by 1700 CE. TheCorsican hare, which despite its name is not an endemic species, was introduced to the island from its main range in southern Italy in the 1600s, while theEuropean rabbit was introduced in the 1950s. Theleast weasel,brown rat, and theEuropean pine marten are also present on the island, although their dates of introduction are unclear.[40]
Note: Censuses from 1886 to 1975 were falsified by the municipalities of Corsica to hide the population decline and maintain the level of financial benefits received from the French state. Figures from 1936 to 1975 in this table are the redressed figures calculated byINSEE to correct the overestimated population of the censuses at the time. Source: 1740–1786 censuses,[44] 1806–1881 censuses,[45] INSEE's censuses (1982–2021, as well as redressed figures 1936–1975),[46] and INSEE estimate (2024).[1]
At the 2019 census, 55.7% of the inhabitants of Corsica were people born on the island, 29.9% were fromContinental France, 0.3% were natives ofOverseas France, and 14.1% were born in foreign countries.[47]
The majority of the foreign immigrants in Corsica come from theMaghreb (particularlyMoroccans, who made up 29.0% of all immigrants in Corsica at the 2019 census) and from Southern Europe (particularlyPortuguese andItalians, 23.9% and 12.5% of immigrants on the island respectively).[48]
Place of birth of residents of Corsica (at the 1982, 1990, 1999, 2008, 2013, and 2019 censuses)
Born in foreign countries with French citizenship at birth1
Immigrants2
2019
55.7%
29.9%
0.3%
4.2%
9.9%
from the Maghreb3
from Southern Europe4
from the rest of the world
3.9%
3.8%
2.2%
2013
55.8%
28.9%
0.3%
4.8%
10.2%
from the Maghreb3
from Southern Europe4
from the rest of the world
4.4%
3.9%
1.9%
2008
57.9%
27.3%
0.3%
5.2%
9.3%
from the Maghreb3
from Southern Europe4
from the rest of the world
4.4%
3.4%
1.5%
1999
59.5%
24.8%
0.3%
5.5%
10.0%
from the Maghreb3
from Southern Europe4
from the rest of the world
5.3%
3.3%
1.4%
1990
62.0%
21.3%
0.2%
6.0%
10.5%
1982
61.6%
20.4%
0.2%
6.0%
11.8%
1EssentiallyPieds-Noirs who resettled in Corsica after the independence of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, many of whom had Corsican ancestry. 2An immigrant is by French definition a person born in a foreign country and who did not have French citizenship at birth. Note that an immigrant may have acquired French citizenship since moving to France, but is still listed as an immigrant in French statistics. On the other hand, persons born in France with foreign citizenship (the children of immigrants) are not listed as immigrants. 3Morocco,Tunisia,Algeria 4Portugal, Italy, Spain
French (Français) is the official and most widely spoken language on the island.Italian was the official language of Corsica until 9 May 1859,[53] when it was replaced by French.Corsican (Corsu), aminority language that is closely related to medievalTuscan (Toscano), has a better prospect of survival than most otherFrench regional languages: Corsican is the second most widely spoken language after French. However, since the annexation of the island by France in the 18th century, Corsican has been under heavy pressure from French, and today it is estimated that only 10% of Corsica's population speak the language natively, with only 50% having some sort of proficiency in it.[54]
Some scholars and interviewees have suggested a return to Italian references for the Corsican, arguing that the cultural and linguistic distance from theItalian-speaking world is detrimental. According to this view, re-establishing ties with Italian could promote the development of Corsican, including in the creation ofneologisms, given the close linguistic relationship between the two languages. Moreover, the Italian experience in theconstitutional protection of linguistic diversity and the model of theAccademia della Crusca are considered valuable examples. Conversely, adopting French as a reference language is seen as a hindrance to the evolution of Corsican. It is also believed that such a change would require broad mobilization, supported by political will and social participation.[55]
French and Corsican bilingual road sign on the Route Nationale 198 betweenPorto Vecchio andBonifacio.
The Corsican language is divided into two main varieties:Cismuntanu andUltramuntanu, spoken respectively northeast and southwest of the Girolata–Porto Vecchio line. This division was due to the massive immigration from Tuscany which took place in Corsica during the lower Middle Ages: as a result, theCismuntanu became very similar to the Tuscan dialects, being part of theItalo-Dalmatian language group, while theUltramuntanu maintained its original characteristics which make it much more similar to aSouthern Romance language, such asSardinian (Sardu).[56][57] Therefore, due to the differences between the main dialectal varieties, many linguists classify Corsican as an Italo-Dalmatian language,[58] while others consider it a Southern Romance one.[59]
Fewer and fewer people speak aLigurian dialect, known asbunifazzinu,[60] in what has long been alanguage island,Bonifacio, and inAjaccio, theaghjaccinu dialect. InCargèse, a village established by Greek immigrants in the 17th century,Greek (Ελληνικά) was the traditional language.[61]
Among foreign languages, the most spoken ones wereEnglish (39%) andItalian (34%) as reported by an official survey by the regional government.[55]
From the mountains to the plains and sea, many ingredients play a role.Game such aswild boar (Cingale,Singhjari) is popular. There also is seafood and river fish, such astrout. Delicacies, such asfigatellu (also named asficateddu), made with liver,coppa, ham (prizuttu),lonzu, are made from Corsican pork (porcu nustrale).Characteristic among the cheeses isbrocciu (similar to ricotta), which is used as a fresh ingredient in many dishes, from first courses (sturzapreti) to cakes (fiadone). Other cheeses, likecasgiu merzu ("rotten cheese", the Corsican counterpart of theSardiniancasu martzu), andcasgiu veghju, are made from goat or sheep milk. Chestnuts are the main ingredient in the making ofpulenta castagnina and cakes (falculelle). A variety of alcohol also exists, ranging fromaquavita (brandy), red and whiteCorsican wines (Vinu Corsu), muscat wine (plain or sparkling), to the famous "Cap Corse" apéritif produced by Mattei. The herbs which are part ofMaquis (Corsican:machja), and the chestnuts and acorns of the Corsican forests are eaten by local animals, resulting in a noticeable flavour in the food there.
Most Corsican football clubs are currently littered through the top 5 tiers of French football.AC Ajaccio andSC Bastia play inLigue 2 in 2024–25, although both have played inLigue 1 in the last decade.FC Bastia-Borgo currently competes in the Championnat National andGazélec Ajaccio currently competes in the Championnat National 3.ÉF Bastia previously competed in Regional 1, but in 2021 merged with fellow Corsican team Association de la Jeunesse de Biguglia, to form Football Jeunesse Étoile Biguglia.
On 2 March 1982, a law was passed that gave Corsica the status ofterritorial collectivity (collectivité territoriale), abolishing the Corsican Regional Council. Unlike the regional councils, the Corsican Assembly has executive powers over the island.
In 1992, three institutions were formed in the territorial collectivity of Corsica:
TheExecutive Council of Corsica, which handles the type of executive functions held in other French regions by the presidents of the Regional Councils. It ensures the stability and consistency needed to manage the affairs of the territory
Alocal referendum held in 2003, aimed at abolishing the twodépartements to leave a territorial collectivity with extended powers, was voted down by a narrow margin. However, the issue ofCorsican autonomy and greater powers for the Corsican Assembly continues to hold sway over Corsican politics.
In 1584 theRepublic of Genoa governor ordered all farmers and landowners to plant four trees yearly; achestnut,olive,ficus, andmulberry tree. Many communities owe their origin and former richness to the ensuing chestnut woods.[63] Chestnut bread keeps fresh for as long as two weeks.[64]
Corsica's main exports are granite and marble, tannic acid, cork, cheese, wine, citrus fruit, olive oil and cigarettes.[65]
TheCorsican mafia has a considerable influence on the local economy.[66]
All airports are served by regional French airlineAir Corsica, as well as Air France which mainly offers connections toParis-Orly. Budget carriers, such asEasyJet andRyanair, offer seasonal connections to different cities in Europe.
There was also theEastern Coast Railway [fr] along the Tyrrhenian seacoast; that line was heavily damaged duringWorld War II, and subsequently closed for good.[67]
Port ofAjaccioLooking north across theStrait of Bonifacio from the northern tip of Sardinia; the southern coast of Corsica is barely visible through the haze of distance.
Corsica is well connected to the European mainland (Italy and France) by various car ferry lines. The island's busiest seaport isBastia, which saw more than 2.5 million passengers in 2012.[68] The second busiest seaport isAjaccio, followed byL'Île-Rousse andCalvi.Propriano andPorto Vecchio in the south also have smaller ferry docks and are seasonally served from France (Marseille), whileBonifacio's harbour is only frequented by smaller car ferries from the neighbouring island ofSardinia.
The ferry companies serving Corsica areCorsica Ferries – Sardinia Ferries (from Savona, Livorno and Piombino in Italy; Toulon and Nice in France),SNCM (from Marseille, Toulon and Nice in France), CMN – La Méridionale (from Marseille in France) andMoby Lines (from Livorno and Genoa in Italy).[69][70][71][72]
The French government is opposed to full independence but has at times shown support for some level of autonomy. There is support on the island for proposals for greater autonomy, but polls show that a large majority of Corsicans are opposed to full independence.[73][74]
In 1972, the Italian company Montedison dumped toxic waste off the Corsican coast, creating what looked like red mud in waters around the island with the poisoning of the sea, the most visible effects beingcetaceans found dead on the shores. At that time theCorsican people felt that the French government did not support them. To stop the poisoning, one ship carrying toxic waste from Italy was bombed.[75]
Some Nationalist groups that claim to supportCorsican independence, such as theNational Liberation Front of Corsica, have carried out a violent campaign since the 1970s that includesbombings and assassinations, usually targeting buildings and officials representing the French government or Corsicans themselves for political reasons.[76]
In 2000, Prime MinisterLionel Jospin agreed to grant increased autonomy to Corsica. The proposed autonomy for Corsica would have included greater protection for theCorsican language (Corsu), the island's traditional language, whose practice and teaching, like otherregional or minority languages in France, had been discouraged in the past. According to theUNESCO classification, the Corsican language is currently in danger of becoming extinct.[77] However, plans for increased autonomy were opposed by theGaullist opposition in theFrench National Assembly, who feared that they would lead to calls for autonomy from otherrégions (such asBrittany,Alsace, orProvence), eventually threatening France's unity as a country.[78]
On 13 December 2015, the regionalist coalitionPè a Corsica (English:For Corsica), supported by both Femu a Corsica and Corsica Libera and led by Gilles Siméoni, won the territorial elections with a percentage of 36.9%.[80][81]
On 17 December 2015, Jean Guy Talamoni was elected President of the Assembly of Corsica and Gilles Siméoni was elected Executive President of the Council of the Region. In addition, legislation granting Corsica a greater degree of autonomy was passed[vague].[82]
On 16 March 2022, the interior minister,Gérald Darmanin, told regional newspaperCorse Matin before a two-day visit: "We are ready to go as far as autonomy – there you go, the word has been said."[83] The comment came aftertwo weeks of rioting in which 100 people were injured and public buildings and police were attacked with homemade explosive devices.
In January 2025, the Assembly created an information mission on the institutional future of Corsica.[84] The information mission could give way to a real legislative power if, after five years, the adaptation status proves to be insufficient.[85]
^Gregory, Desmond (1985).The Ungovernable rock: a history of the Anglo-Corsican kingdom and its role in Britain's Mediterranean strategy during the Revolutionary war 1793-1797. Fairleigh Dickinson university press Associated university presses.ISBN9780838632253.
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