Haute-Corse: Bastia, Cap Corse, and Island Identity
Haute-Corse (Upper Corsica) occupies the northern half of the island. Bastia, the prefecture, is the main port and commercial city, with a picturesque old port (Terra Vecchia) and citadel. The Cap Corse peninsula, extending like a finger northward, is dotted with Genoese watchtowers and small fishing villages. Calvi, on the northwest coast, has a Genoese citadel and claims to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.
The interior is mountainous and rugged. Corte, in the centre, was the capital of the independent Corsican Republic under Pasquale Paoli in the eighteenth century and now hosts the University of Corsica. The GR 20 long-distance hiking trail, considered one of the toughest in Europe, traverses the island's mountain spine. The population is about 185,000. Corsican identity is strong, with its own language (closely related to Italian) and a complex political relationship with mainland France.
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Haute-Corse (Upper Corsica) occupies the northern half of the island. Bastia, the prefecture, is the main port and commercial city, with a picturesque old port (Terra Vecchia) and citadel. The Cap Corse peninsula, extending like a finger northward, is dotted with Genoese watchtowers and small fishing villages. Calvi, on the northwest coast, has a Genoese citadel and claims to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.
The interior is mountainous and rugged. Corte, in the centre, was the capital of the independent Corsican Republic under Pasquale Paoli in the eighteenth century and now hosts the University of Corsica. The GR 20 long-distance hiking trail, considered one of the toughest in Europe, traverses the island's mountain spine. The population is about 185,000. Corsican identity is strong, with its own language (closely related to Italian) and a complex political relationship with mainland France.
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