Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean, lying southeast of the French mainland, west of the Italian Peninsula, and north of the island of Sardinia. The island has a single mountain chain that covers two-thirds of its land. As of January 2026, Corsica is home to 365,636 people.

Corsica is a special part of France, with plans for more self-rule in the future. Its capital city is Ajaccio, where the famous leader Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769. Corsica has a rich history, having been ruled by the Republic of Genoa before becoming part of France. The island keeps many Italian cultural traditions, and both French and the local Corsican language are spoken there.

In recent years, Corsica has seen movements seeking more independence from France. After tensions and conflicts, truces were reached in 2014 and 2016, but fighting started again in 2022 following the death of a jailed activist. Today, Corsica remains a beautiful and culturally unique part of France.

History

Main article: History of Corsica

Corsica has been home to people since very ancient times, starting in the Middle Stone Age. By the time of the Neolithic period, around 6000 BC, people lived there permanently.

Carthage and its dependencies in 264 BC

Over the centuries, many different groups lived on or ruled the island. The Carthaginians, ancient Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans all came and went. The Romans made Corsica a province in 238 BC. The island was known for its sheep, honey, resin, wax, cheap wines, and even slaves.

In later times, Corsica was part of the Roman Empire, then the Byzantine Empire, and later the Kingdom of the Lombards. It came under the control of Pisa and Genoa, and many churches from this time still stand today.

In the 1700s, Corsicans began fighting for their independence from Genoa. After many years of struggle, they created the Corsican Republic in 1755, but it was conquered by France in 1769.

The Romanesque-Pisan style of the Church of Aregno

During the 19th century, Corsica slowly became more connected to France. People there started to feel more French, partly because of schools, culture, and the chance to work in far-off places.

In World War II, Corsica was first ruled by a government that worked with Germany, then occupied by Italian and German forces. Later, Italian and French forces pushed the Germans out, making Corsica the first French area to be freed.

In more recent times, some people on Corsica have wanted to be independent from France. A group called the National Liberation Front of Corsica carried out many attacks in the 1970s and 1980s. There have been many efforts to make peace, but the situation remains complex even today.

Geography

Corsica is a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea. It formed about 250 million years ago when granite rose up on its western side. Later, sedimentary rock pressed against this granite, creating schists on the eastern side. The island is very mountainous, often called a "mountain in the sea."

Corsica is 183 kilometers long and 83 kilometers wide, with 1,000 kilometers of coastline and over 200 beaches. Its highest peak, Monte Cinto, stands at 2,706 meters. Mountains cover two-thirds of the island, while forests take up about 20% of the land. The island is the fourth largest in the Mediterranean, after Sicily, Sardinia, and Cyprus. Nature reserves cover around 40% of Corsica, including Parc naturel régional de Corse. It also has the famous GR20 hiking trail, one of Europe’s most famous.

Detailed map of Corsica and environs

Corsica lies 90 kilometers from Tuscany in Italy and 170 kilometers from the Côte d'Azur in France. It is separated from Sardinia by the Strait of Bonifacio, which is only 11 kilometers wide at its narrowest point.

Main articles: Communes of the Haute-Corse department and Communes of the Corse-du-Sud department

Climate

Corsica has different types of weather depending on where you are on the island. Near the coast, the weather is warm and dry, especially in the summer. A little further inland, it stays warm but can have cooler summers. In the very high places on the island, the weather can get quite cold.

One place on Corsica, called Sari-Solenzara, has some of the warmest temperatures in all of France. It gets a lot of sunshine throughout the year.

Ecology

Corsica is divided into four ecological zones based on height above sea level. The coastal zone, below 600 metres, has a mild climate with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. It features forests, scrubland, and shrubs, though much of this area has been cleared for farming and logging.

Higher up, between 600 and 1,800 metres, the climate is cooler and wetter, supporting diverse forests of oak, pine, and other trees. Above 1,800 metres, the landscape becomes sparse and windy, with few plants and no people living there.

The island is home to many bird species, such as the bearded vulture and the golden eagle. There are also reptiles and amphibians, including the Hermann's tortoise and the European pond turtle. The Parc Naturel Régional de Corse protects rare animals and plants, including the European mouflon and the Corsican red deer, which was brought back after it was lost due to hunting.

Demographics

As of January 2026, Corsica is home to about 365,636 people.

Immigration

In 2019, most people living on Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, were born there. About 55.7% of the island's inhabitants were born on Corsica itself, while 29.9% came from Continental France. A small number, 0.3%, were from Overseas France, and 14.1% were born in other countries.

Many of the people from outside Corsica come from places like the Maghreb, especially Moroccans, who made up a big part of the immigrants. Others come from Southern Europe, mainly from Portugal and Italy.

Place of birth of residents of Corsica
(at the 1982, 1990, 1999, 2008, 2013, and 2019 censuses)
Census	Born in Corsica	Born in Continental France	Born in Overseas France	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%
¹Essentially Pieds-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
Source: INSEE

Languages

French is the main language spoken on the island. Before the year 1859, Italian was the official language, but it was changed to French. Corsican, a special language related to old Tuscan, is still used by some people. Today, only about 10% of people on the island speak Corsican as their first language, and about 50% know some of it.

Some people think that connecting more with Italian could help Corsican grow and change. They believe this could bring new words and ideas. Others think using French as a guide might slow down Corsican's development.

Corsican has two main types: one spoken in the northeast and another in the southwest of the island. These differences came from people moving to Corsica long ago. One type of Corsican sounds a lot like Tuscan, while the other keeps older sounds, similar to Sardinian.

A few people still speak Ligurian, an old language, in places like Bonifacio and Ajaccio. In a village called Cargèse, started by Greek people, Greek used to be the traditional language.

Many people also know English and Italian.

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Corsica

Corsica's food uses many different ingredients from the mountains, plains, and sea. Popular foods include game like wild boar, as well as seafood and river fish such as trout. Special dishes are made from Corsican pork, like liver-based figatellu, ham, and other cured meats. One well-known cheese is brocciu, similar to ricotta, used in many recipes from pasta to cakes. Other cheeses are made from goat or sheep milk. Chestnuts are a key ingredient in dishes like pulenta castagnina and cakes. Corsica also has many types of alcohol, including brandy, red and white wines, muscat wine, and a special apéritif from the Cap Corse area. Herbs from the local landscape add unique flavors to the island's foods.

Art

Corsica has been home to many talented artists. Some well-known names include singers like Alizée, Laetitia Casta, and Patrick Fiori, as well as opera singers such as Martha Angelici and José Luccioni. There are also musicians and bands like A Filetta, I Muvrini, and Jenifer. The island has produced painters, actors, and writers who have made their mark in the world of art and entertainment.

Sport

Corsica has many football clubs that play in different levels of French football leagues. For example, AC Ajaccio plays in Regional 2, and SC Bastia plays in Ligue 2. Some of these teams have also played in the top league, Ligue 1, in the past.

The Tour de Corse is a famous car race that started in 1956. It was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 to 2008 and later joined other rally competitions. The race returned to the World Rally Championship in 2015.

Administration

Corsica used to be part of a larger French region called Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. In 1975, it was split into two new areas, called Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud.

In 1982, a new law gave Corsica special powers, making it a territorial collectivity. This means it has its own assembly with important decision-making abilities.

In 1992, three main groups were created to help run Corsica:

The Executive Council of Corsica, which handles important decisions.
The Corsican Assembly, which makes laws and decisions for the island.
The Economic, Social and Cultural Council of Corsica, which gives advice.

A vote in 2003 about changing how Corsica is governed did not succeed, but people still talk about giving Corsica more control over its own matters.

Economy

Corsica's economy produced 10 billion euros in 2021.

Long ago, in 1584, a leader from the Republic of Genoa told everyone to plant four special trees each year: a chestnut tree, an olive tree, a ficus tree, and a mulberry tree. This helped create many chestnut forests, and the chestnut bread from these trees can stay fresh for two weeks.

Today, Corsica sells things like granite, marble, tannic acid, cork, cheese, wine, citrus fruit, olive oil, and cigarettes.

Transport

Airports

Corsica has four international airports: Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport, Bastia – Poretta Airport, Calvi – Sainte-Catherine Airport, and Figari–Sud Corse Airport near Bonifacio and Porto Vecchio in the south. These airports are served by the regional French airline Air Corsica and Air France, which mainly connects to Paris-Orly. Budget airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair also offer seasonal flights to various European cities.

Railway

The island has 232 kilometres (144 miles) of metre gauge railway. The main line runs between Bastia and Ajaccio through Ponte Leccia, with a branch line from Ponte Leccia to Calvi. This rail network is called Chemins de fer de la Corse. There was once a railway along the eastern coast, but it was heavily damaged during World War II and was closed down permanently.

Seaports

Corsica is well connected to Europe by car ferries. The busiest seaport is Bastia, followed by Ajaccio, L'Île-Rousse, and Calvi. Smaller ports like Propriano and Porto Vecchio also have seasonal ferry services from France, and Bonifacio's harbour has smaller ferries to the nearby island of Sardinia. Ferry companies include Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries, SNCM, CMN – La Méridionale, and Moby Lines.