HAUTE-CORSE

dpartement, a portion of metropolitan France consisting of northern Corsica. The dpartement was created in 1976; its capital is Bastia. Cape Corse extends to the northeast and forms a peninsula dissected by rivulets and small torrents; slopes are terraced and once produced grapes and other fruits. The rich farmland and olive groves of the Balagne region lie to the northwest and are bounded by the virtual deserts of Agriates to the northeast and Galeria to the southwest. Annual precipitation elsewhere is, however, generally high, often exceeding 60 inches (1,500 mm) in the mountains. Almost one-third of the dpartement's population lives in Bastia, which has drawn from the hinterland, though the Balagne (once called the Garden of Corsica) continues to be densely populated. Many householders in Bastia also own houses in the countryside. Services tend to be poorly developed outside the capital and the secondary centres of Calvi, L'Ile-Rousse, Ghisonaccia, and Corte. Tourism and agriculture dominate the economy; olives, grapes, wheat, and timber are produced. The traditional farmstead is the maison haute, built with thick stone walls to insulate against winter cold. Stables occupy the ground floor, living quarters are on the second floor, and food and supplies are stored in the attic. Corsu, which is the insular language, shows strong Tuscan influences and continues to be spoken by most of the heads of household in Bastia. The Corsu of Haute-Corse is distinguishable from that of southern Corsica. The dpartement has three arrondissements: Bastia, Corte, and Calvi. Area 1,802 square miles (4,666 square km). Pop. (1990) 131,236; (1994 est.) 135,010.