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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Corsica
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1992-09-02
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Island region of France, in the Mediterranean
off the W coast of Italy, N of Sardinia; it
comprises the departements of Haute Corse and
Corse du Sud. area 8,700 sq km/3,358 sq mi
capital Ajaccio (port) features maquis
vegetation. Its mountain bandits were
eradicated 1931, but the tradition of the
vendetta or blood feud lingers; it is the
main base of the Foreign Legion. government
its special status involves a 61-member
regional parliament with the power to
scrutinize French National Assembly bills
applicable to the island and propose
amendments products wine, olive oil
population (1996) 249,200; including just
under 50% native Corsicans. There are about
400,000 emigres, mostly in Mexico and Central
America, who return to retire. language
French (official); the majority speak
Corsican, an Italian dialect famous people
Napoleon history the Phocaeans of Ionia
founded Alalia about 570 BC, and were
succeeded in turn by the Etruscans, the
Carthaginians, the Romans, the Vandals, and
the Arabs. In the 14th century Corsica fell
to the Genoese, and in the second half of the
18th century a Corsican nationalist, Pasquale
Paoli (1725-1807), led an independence
movement. Genoa sold Corsica to France 1768.
In World War II Corsica was occupied by Italy
1942-43. From 1962, French pieds noir
(refugees from Algeria, mainly vine growers,
were settled in Corsica, and their prosperity
helped to fan nationalist feeling, which
demands an independent Corsica. This fuelled
a `national liberation front' (FNLC), banned
1983.