BONIFACIO

town, Corse-du-Sud dpartement, Corse region, France, just west of Cap Pertusato, southernmost point of the island of Corsica, giving its name to the strait (7.5 mi wide) separating Corsica from the northern tip of Sardinia. The town is perched on a narrow limestone peninsula about 1 mi long that parallels the coast and forms a natural harbour. Founded about AD 828 as a defense against pirates, the town was taken from Pisa at the end of the 12th century by the Genoese. Traditionally it has remained Genoese, the inhabitants speaking Genoese dialect and refusing to adopt such Corsican customs as the vendetta. Not linked to the rest of the island by rail, Bonifacio trades by sea, mostly with Sardinia, in cereals, wine, and cork. Pop. (1982) 1,727.