Corsica

The island of Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France. It was colonized the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. After the Roman empire collapsed, Corsica got invaded by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. For a short while the island belonged to the Byzantine Empire, then the Franks granted the island to the Pope, in the early 11th century Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion. The island came, just like neighbouring Sardinia, under the influence of the Republic of Pisa, later it belonged to Genua for centuries. In 1729 the Corsican fight for independence from Genoa began. After 26 years of struggle the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed in 1755, but in 1769, when the island was conquered by France.

The Strait of Bonifacio between the southern tip of Corsica (seen here) and the northern tip of Sardinia is just 12kms wide.