Corsica, << KAWR sih kuh >> (pop. 330,455), is a French island in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 9 miles (14 kilometers) north of the island of Sardinia , between southeastern France and northwestern Italy. Corsica’s name in French, the official language, is Corse. The island is one of France’s regions (main administrative units). The region is further divided into two smaller administrative districts called departments. Corsica is the birthplace of Napoleon I , also known as Napoleon Bonaparte.
Size and description.
Corsica has an area of 3,352 square miles (8,680 square kilometers). Its coastline is high and rocky and has few natural harbors. The rugged interior is covered with scrub and cut by narrow, fertile valleys. Ajaccio, Corsica’s capital and largest city, is on the western side of the island, beside the Gulf of Ajaccio. Bastia, the next largest city, lies on the eastern side.
Economy.
Corsica has a mild climate, and crops flourish in the rich soils of the valleys. Farmers raise barley, corn, grapes and other fruits, olives, potatoes, and wheat. Chestnut, cork, oak, and pine trees cling to the steep mountain slopes. Wool for clothing comes from sheep that graze in the mountains. Farmers also raise cattle and hogs. Along the coast, people fish for lobster and sardines. Granite and marble are mined on the island.
Corsica’s fastest-growing source of income is tourism. Tourists enjoy the mild climate, rugged scenery, sandy beaches, and colorful villages of Corsica. Another attraction is the largely unspoiled environment of the Natural Regional Park of Corsica. Construction is also important to Corsica’s economy.
History.
Corsica was first settled about 560 B.C. by Phoenicians , who called it Cyrnos. It was conquered in turn by the Etruscans , Carthaginians , and Romans . The Romans renamed it Corsica. Vandals captured Corsica in A.D. 469, but the island was recaptured by Rome, under Justinian I , in 534. Later, Charlemagne ruled Corsica. 
Pope Gregory VII assumed sovereignty of Corsica in 1077 and granted it to the Bishop of Pisa to control. About 300 years later, Corsica came under the control of the Italian city of Genoa . In 1768, the Genoese sold the island to the French, who lost it to the British in 1794. In 1796, French Emperor Napoleon I sent an expedition to Corsica to reestablish French control. France has held the island since then, except for brief occupations by British soldiers in 1814 and by Italians and Germans during World War II (1939–1945). Allied forces freed the island in 1943, returning it to French control.
In the 1970’s, a small faction of Corsicans began using violent tactics to seek independence. Most Corsicans wanted to remain part of France but with greater local control over the island’s affairs.
In 1982, the French Parliament created a Corsican regional assembly. Despite this and other measures that gave Corsicans greater control over their island, members of the independence faction continued their violence.
