The mariners of the Phoenician city of Tyre (now in southern Lebanon), are reporttedly the first colonisers of the island, which they Kersica (from Ker, or Kir, + cic meaning a pointed cape, or from Kors - a forest, since in those days, it was covered by forest). Then under the Greeks who followed the Phoenicians, it became Kurnos, or 'covered by forests'. They also called the island Callista (or Kalliste) - the most beautiful.
Corsica was acquired by France from bankrupt Genoa under the Treaty of Versailles in 1768. The country had been independent from 1755, though Genoa had hung onto the fortified towns of Ajaccio, Bastia, Bonifacio, Calvi and St Florent. Corsica had been the first country to have elected its parliament - Consulta - by universal suffrage (men and women).
French is the official language of Corsica, but a large number of Corsicans speak Corsican - Corsu - which is an Indo-European language of Latin origin.It has no current legal status and French Government has yet to ratify the European minority language charter.
