The Towns of Corsica
In the département of Corse-du-Sud the principal town are Ajaccio, Porto-Vecchio, Propriano, Sartène and Vico.  In Haute-Corse, the major towns are:  Bastia, Bonifacio, Calvi, Corte, Ghisonaccia and L'Île-Rousse.

• Ajaccio
  Ajaccio is the capital of the département of Corse-du-Sud and the region of Corsica.  It is also a seaport on the island’s west coast.  Both the city hall and Napoleon's birthplace, Maison Bonaparte, are museums.  Click here for Information about Napoleon.
  
  Two miles north of Ajaccio is the town’s original Roman site of Ajax.  The Genoese moved the town to its present site in 1492.  In 1811, Ajaccio became the capital of the département of Liamone.  The département was divided into the départments of Corse-du-Sud and Haute-Corse in 1976.  Ajaccio then became the capital of Corse-du-Sud.
  
  Ajaccio’s main industry is tourism.  There is also some light industry and shipping.  It is the seat of a prefect and a bishopric.
  
  In WWI Ajaccio served as an allied naval base.  In 1943 it was the first Corsican town to revolt against Fascist occupation during World War II.
   

• Bastia
  Bastia, the capital of the département of Haute-Corse, is a port and Corsica’s  largest city.  It is situated on the northeastern coast, 22 miles south of the island's northernmost point, the tip of Cape Corse.  It is 73 miles from Livorno in Italy.  From Bastia one can see, across the Tyrrhenian Sea, the island of Elba where Napoleon was exiled.
  
  Bastia was originally a poor fishing village called Marina di Cardo.  In 1383 its name was changed after a Genoese keep, or bastiglia, was constructed there.  Until 1791, Bastia was the capital of Corsica.  The town is still the island’s military headquarters.
  
  The old town, which is known as Terra Vecchia, is built in and around the central part of the harbor.  The old town is a network of alleys connected by dark, vaulted passages.  The classical facades of the Church of San Giovanni Battista, the law court, the theatre, and the city hall are floridly decorated.  The upper town, called Terra Nuova, or modern town, is situated to the north and west.
  
  Bastia manufactures cigarettes, cigars, and preserves.  Its exports include the celebrated wines of Cape Corse.