Pino (; ) is a commune in the

Haute-Corse Haute-Corse (; , or ; ) is a department of France, consisting of the northern part of the island of Corsica. The corresponding departmental territorial collectivity merged with that of Corse-du-Sud on 1 January 2018, forming the single ter ...

department of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

on the island of

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

Geography

The town of Pino is located in the Eastern "Alpine Corsica", a distinction limited to the northeast of the island, composed of various terrains, originating from a former oceanic crust called Liguro-Piedmontese ( a Tethys Ocean whose age is between -170 to -60 Ma) and its continental margins. In this part of Corsica, it is distinguished that the metamorphic schists or "lustrous schists" and the

ophiolite An ophiolite is a section of Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed, and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks. The Greek word ὄφις, ''ophis'' (''snake'') is ...

s of Cap Corse are of

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

and

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

age. The commune occupies an "

alveolus Alveolus (; pl. alveoli, adj. alveolar) is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit. Uses in anatomy and zoology * Pulmonary alveolus, an air sac in the lungs ** Alveolar cell or pneumocyte ** Alveolar duct ** Alveolar macrophage * M ...

" in the western

Cap Corse Cap Corse (; , ; , ), a geographical area of Corsica, is a long peninsula located at the northern tip of the island. At the base of it is the second largest city in Corsica, Bastia. Cap Corse is also a Communauté de communes comprising 18 comm ...

, a valley surrounded by mountains to the north, east, and south, which are also its territorial limits. Starting from the coast south of the , its boundaries follow a ridge line from Punta d'Alisgia (155 m), Punta Pastricciola (305 m), to Monte Popolu (520 m). It then follows the Cape ridge southwards over the Bocca di Santa Lucia pass (387 m), beneath which lies the Santa Lucia chapel, past the

Tour de Sénèque The Tower of Seneca () is a ruined Genoese tower located in the commune of Luri in the Cap Corse region of the Corsica. The tower was built in the 16th century. It was one of a series of defences constructed by the Republic of Genoa between 15 ...

(566 m), Monte Rotto (630 m - Luri), Punta Rasiccia (714 m), and Monte Ventigliole (712 m) towards Monte Grofilieta (836 m). From there, it heads back west towards the sea, passing Monte Cupieta (756 m), Punta di Caterraggio (514 m), Punta di Piestrone (430 m), and follows the course of the small river, fiume di Mare Morto, to the coast.

Hydrography

On Pino's seafront are the mouths of six small rivers, all of which rise from the heights of the Pino Valley. From North to South, they are: the di Marinascu, the di Fichetu, the di Sorbinca, the di A Pietra, the di Cucchiara, and the di Mare Morto.

Climate and vegetation

Pino's geographical location on the Cape's western coastline means it is subject to the prevailing westerly winds. The soil is covered with tall holm oak trres and dense

scrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

that conceal the ancient cultivation terraces, developing on a soil composed partly of silky, wrinkled sericite schists, and partly of very resistant ophiolites composed of

volcanic rock Volcanic rocks (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) are rocks formed from lava erupted from a volcano. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic rock is artificial, and in nature volcanic rocks grade into hypabyssal and me ...

s, causing sharp, abrupt reliefs in the ground. Many roads are cut into the rock, and feature prasinites on the walls, tinted green by

epidote Epidote is a calcium aluminium iron sorosilicate mineral. Description Well developed crystals of epidote, Ca2Al2(Fe3+;Al)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH), crystallizing in the monoclinic system, are of frequent occurrence: they are commonly prismatic in ha ...

minerals. The Santa Lucia Chapel is surrounded by laricio pines. On the rocky coastal slopes, are the numerous

agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Many plan ...

and prickly pear trees that originated in Mexico and have become widespread around the Mediterranean.

Population

Etymology

Pino derives from the Latin word ''pinus'', meaning umbrella pine, a species of tree endemic to the commune.

References