Corsica is an island located in the heart of the western Mediterranean - to 200 km from Nice and only a dozen kilometers from Sardinia and the island of Elba (Tuscany). The island has always occupied a strategic location on sea routes. It is also a mountain in the sea "with a backbone North-South for its entire length which is causing difficulties in communication. These aspects have contributed to explain its specificity and originality. With its 8 778 km ², it is the fourth island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily, Sardinia and Cyprus.

Demography of Corsica

The population of Corsica was estimated at 279 000, dated 1 January 2006, less than 0.5% of the population of metropolitan France. The pace of population growth in the region is quite high in recent years (0.99% per year since 1999), despite a very low fertility compared to the French average. The increase, well above the national average, is due to the natural balance at a rate of 0.01% per year, most returning to net migration (0.98% annually).

Environment

Although many species have disappeared during the prehistoric times or shortly after, compared to the mainland and islands of Brittany, Corsica enjoys a relatively protected environment, both on land, on the coast and at sea.

The island, which houses an international marine park, nature reserves (Scandola, Finocchiarola, Biguglia, Cerbicale, Bouches de Bonifacio and Tre Padule of Suartone) and the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, and the areas of Community importance for birds and the NATURA 2000 network in 1986 was affected by the fallout cloud that followed the Chernobyl disaster, such as Italy and eastern France. Fungi and some products may be contaminated. An observatory conservatory insects Corsica aims to conserve cash assets and biodiversity ordinary. The risk of fire poses a threat to biodiversity, while (in 2006) over 50% of damage would result from 12% of firings related to maintenance practices or ways of pastures and hunting areas. 15% of fires are due to lightning, but were responsible for only 1% of destruction (above). During the heatwave of 2003, nearly 20 000 hectares have burned about 500 firings, the problem of fires could increase with global warming.

The Corsican Assembly (Act of 13 May 1991) has expertise in environment, with an Office of Environment, Corsica and Monitoring of the Environment.

Corsican language

The Corsican language is a language issue at the bottom of Latin and medieval Tuscan. It replaced a language probably of Etruscan origin Greek morning that the Romans described as "barbaric." The Corsican language today was influenced by the micro-regions of the island by the Tuscan north while the far south remained under the influence of low Latin. This is especially in the plural form of men (from Latin neutral in the extreme south) and the original terms remained close to the Latin as "u casgiu" for the cheese directly from "Caseus" in Latin. The language describing the different varieties as a form of polynomial. The different varieties are intercommunicantes but varied. The Corsican language is the vehicle of Corsican culture, rich in its songs, its polyphony, its proverbs, expressions, etc... She is the subject of many claims on his protection, his teaching. The state has a political will to promote the teaching of language and culture Corsican in fact initiatives for this course are totally marginal and innefficaces. Optional Teaching a maximum of 2 hours per week, left to right want teachers in primary education, not comparable with the very effective efforts made in Spain for the Catalan and Basque eg... However, the Corsican language is considered by UNESCO as a language in danger of extinction, as well that 90% of the world's languages. It also considers that since 2006 the Corsican language and some languages such as italics Sicilian, the Calabrian, the Venetian, is one that is closer to the bottom-Latin as it was spoken to the dawn of the Middle Ages. It is, for its variant of the north, very similar to the dialects of central Italy (Tuscany, Umbria etc..) and is easily comprehensible by the Italians, especially those of the central Italy. It is therefore normal that the Corsican surnames can be found diffusely in the central regions of the peninsula. Formerly spoken language, a blend of Latin, Italian, it is currently structured and codified by the University of Corte (Università di Pasquale Paoli Corti) and defended by numerous islands.

Gastronomy

Corsican cuisine is closely related to major products: the culture of chestnut and citrus fruit, pork meat, milk and sheep's milk cheese, like goat.

Traditionally mountain cuisine while fishery products have become more important, mainly due to the disappearance of malaria coasts and the Corsican tradition of oyster and mussel culture inherited from the Romans. There are two types of Corsican olive oils, one is green, it is produced in December and January, from young trees and olives at the start of maturation. The other is a yellow oil, clean the Corsican culture, it is made from olives picked up in the trees around the month of May.

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