Pino, Haute-Corse

Pino
Commune
The church and surrounding buildings in Pino
Location of Pino
Pino Pino
Coordinates: 42°54′32″N 9°21′06″E
Country	France
Region	Corsica
Department	Haute-Corse
Arrondissement	Bastia
Canton	Cap Corse
Intercommunality	Cap Corse
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Francis Mazotti
Area 1	7.04 km2 (2.72 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	161
• Density	23/km2 (59/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	2B233 /20228
Elevation	0–836 m (0–2,743 ft) (avg. 250 m or 820 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Pino (French pronunciation: [pino]; Corsican: Pinu) is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.

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 ophiolites of Cap Corse are of Jurassic and Cretaceous age.

The commune occupies an "alveolus" in the western Cap Corse, a valley surrounded by mountains to the north, east, and south, which are also its territorial limits. Starting from the coast south of the Anse d'Aliso, 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 (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 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 rocks, causing sharp, abrupt reliefs in the ground. Many roads are cut into the rock, and feature prasinites on the walls, tinted green by epidote minerals.

The Santa Lucia Chapel is surrounded by laricio pines. On the rocky coastal slopes, are the numerous agave and prickly pear trees that originated in Mexico and have become widespread around the Mediterranean.

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1800 507 —     1821 405 −1.06% 1846 426 +0.20% 1872 512 +0.71% 1901 575 +0.40% 1926 529 −0.33% 1946 331 −2.32% 1962 273 −1.20% 1968 269 −0.25%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1975 200 −4.15% 1982 137 −5.26% 1990 143 +0.54% 1999 150 +0.53% 2007 176 +2.02% 2012 148 −3.41% 2017 164 +2.07% 2020 167 +0.61%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Etymology

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

See also

• Torra di Scalu
• Communes of the Haute-Corse department