Corse-du-Sud
Corse-du-Sud
Southern Corsica | |
|---|---|
| Pumonte | |
Port Tino Rossi | |
|
Coat of arms | |
Location of Corse-du-Sud in France | |
| Coordinates: 41°51′N 9°2′E / 41.850°N 9.033°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Corsica |
| Prefecture | Ajaccio |
| Subprefectures | Sartène |
| Government | |
| • Prefect | Amaury de Saint-Quentin[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,014 km2 (1,550 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
• Total | 168,306 |
| • Rank | 96th |
| • Density | 41.93/km2 (108.6/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Department number | 2A |
| Arrondissements | 2 |
| Cantons | 11 |
| Communes | 124 |
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | |
Corse-du-Sud (French pronunciation: [kɔʁs dy syd] ⓘ; Corsican: Corsica suttana [ˈkorsiga zutˈtana], Pumonte [puˈmɔntɛ][a] or Pumonti [puˈmɔnti]; English: Southern Corsica) is 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 remains an administrative department in its own right. In 2023, it had a population of 158,507.[4]
History
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 2023, the 5 most populous communes are:[5]
| Commune | Population (2023) |
|---|---|
| Ajaccio | 76,320 |
| Porto-Vecchio | 11,198 |
| Bastelicaccia | 4,411 |
| Propriano | 3,996 |
| Grosseto-Prugna | 3,900 |
Demographics
The people living in Corse-du-Sud are called Suttanacci.
| Year | Pop. | ±% 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% |
| 2023 | 168,306 | +1.14% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
According to an INSEE study, in the period 2021-2022 9.1% of the population were immigrants and 13.8% were descendants of immigrants (at least one parent).[6]
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
| Constituency | Member[7] | 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.
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Stone bridge near Ota
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Notes
- ^ Also Italian: [puˈmonte].
See also
- Cantons of the Corse-du-Sud department
- Communes of the Corse-du-Sud department
- Arrondissements of the Corse-du-Sud department
- List of historical monuments in South Corsica
References
- ^ a b "Corse : prise de fonctions du préfet Amaury de Saint-Quentin qui assure vouloir "rétablir le dialogue"". France 3. 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
- ^ a b Morgane Rubetti (1 December 2017). "Corse : cinq questions pour comprendre les élections territoriales". Le Figaro. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
- ^ a b Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
- ^ Populations de référence 2023: 2A Corse-du-Sud, INSEE
- ^ L'essentiel sur... les immigrés et les étrangers, INSEE
- ^ Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français". Assemblée nationale.
External links
- (in French) Prefecture website