Corse-du-Sud

Corse-du-Sud (French pronunciation: [kɔʁs dy syd] ; Corsican: Corsica suttana [ˈkorsiga sutˈtana], Pumonte [puˈmɔntɛ][lower-alpha 1] or Pumonti [puˈmɔnti]; English: Southern Corsica) is (as of 2019) an administrative department of France, consisting of the southern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collectivity merged with that of Haute-Corse on 1 January 2018, forming the single territorial collectivity of Corsica, with territorial elections coinciding with the dissolution of the separate council.[3] Although its administrative powers were ceded to the new territorial collectivity, it continues to remain an administrative department in its own right. In 2019, it had a population of 158,507.[4]

Corse-du-Sud
Corsica suttana / Pumonte (Corsican) / Pumonti (Corsican)
Southern Corsica
Pumonte
Coat of arms of Corse-du-Sud
Location of Corse-du-Sud in France
Location of Corse-du-Sud in France
Coordinates: 41°51′N 9°2′E
CountryFrance
RegionCorsica
PrefectureAjaccio
SubprefecturesSartène
Government
  PrefectAmaury de Saint-Quentin[1]
Area
  Total4,014 km2 (1,550 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2020)[2]
  Total160,814
  Rank96th
  Density40/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number2A
Arrondissements2
Cantons11
Communes124
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

History

Map of Corse-du-Sud

The department was formed on 1 January 1976, when the single department of Corsica was divided into Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud. Its boundaries corresponded to the former department of Liamone, which existed from 1793 to 1811.

On 6 February 1998, Corse-du-Sud's prefect Claude Érignac was assassinated in Ajaccio. The Corsican nationalist Yvan Colonna was eventually convicted of the crime.

On 6 July 2003 a referendum rejected increased autonomy by a small majority, with 50.98 percent voting against and 49.02 percent for. This was a major setback for the French Minister of the Interior, Nicolas Sarkozy, who had hoped to use Corsica as the first step in his decentralization programme.

On 1 January 2018, Corse-du-Sud's administrative powers were partly ceded to the new territorial collectivity of Corsica.[3]

Geography

The department is surrounded on three sides by the Mediterranean Sea and on the north by the department of Haute-Corse. The entire island of Corsica is mountainous with many beautiful beaches.

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Ajaccio, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 3 communes with more than 4,000 inhabitants:[4]

Commune Population (2019)
Ajaccio 71,361
Porto-Vecchio 11,132
Bastelicaccia 4,124

Demographics

The people living in Corse-du-Sud are called Suttanacci.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 89,566    
1975 100,278+1.63%
1982 108,604+1.15%
1990 118,808+1.13%
1999 118,593−0.02%
2007 139,362+2.04%
2012 145,429+0.86%
2017 157,249+1.58%
Source: INSEE[5]

According to an INSEE study, in the period 2020-2021 9.1% of the population were immigrants and 11.3% were descendants of immigrants (at least one parent).

Politics

The current prefect of Corse-du-Sud (and also prefect of the collectivity of Corsica) is Amaury de Saint-Quentin, who took office on 7 March 2022.[1]

Current National Assembly representatives

ConstituencyMember[6]Party
Corse-du-Sud's 1st constituency Jean-Jacques Ferrara The Republicans
Corse-du-Sud's 2nd constituency Paul-André Colombani Pè a Corsica

Tourism

The former department enjoys the mild and hot climate of Mediterranean Islands, and therefore attracts a lot of tourists. Its perhaps largest tourist attraction is the city of Bonifacio, part of which is built upon a huge cliff. But inside mountains are beautiful as well, especially the Aiguilles de Bavella, some naked, needle-like rocks.

Notes

  1. Also Italian: [puˈmonte].

See also

References


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