Editing Bastia (section)

==Geography==

Located in the North-East of [[Corsica]] at the base of the [[Cap Corse]], between the [[sea]] and the mountain, Bastia is the principal [[port]] of the island. The city is located {{convert|35|km|0|abbr=on}} away from the northern tip of the Cap Corse, {{convert|50|km|0|abbr=on}} west from [[Elba]], an Italian island, and {{convert|90|km|0|abbr=on}} away from continental [[Italy]] which can be seen a few days per year when visibility is excellent.

[[File:Bastia Serra di Pigno.jpg|thumb|alt=Bastia seen from the "Pigno"|left|The city of Bastia as seen from the "Pigno": notice the lack of constructions in the foreground and the city along the coast in the background]]

In terms of geography, Bastia is defined by its position between the sea and the mountain. The city is located on the Eastern side of the "Serra di Pignu", a {{convert|960|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} mountain (see photo opposite). This steep mountain and several hills in the city shape a relief typical of the [[Cap Corse]]. This pronounced landscape caused the city to develop mostly on a coastal band about {{convert|1.5|km|0|abbr=on}} wide, which is a very limited part of the {{convert|19.38|km²|2|abbr=on}} that the [[Communes of France|commune]] has.

Above all, Bastia is a [[port]], and the [[sea]] has of course a significant role in the spatial organization of the city. Bastia possesses nowadays three different [[port]]s. The old port ("Vieux Port" in [[French language|French]] and "Portu Vechju" in [[Corsican language|Corsican]]), located in a remarkable and narrow cove, offers good natural shelter against the climatic hazards of the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. Thus, it was at the core of the initial development of the city. Nowadays, many pleasure and fishing boats are still there, but it is not as economically vital than the other more modern ports, although its touristic and aesthetic charm almost makes the old port the official emblem of the city. In fact, many cafés, bars and restaurants have moved to its docks to which access is granted by the city for pedestrians only during summer evenings.

A bit more to the north is located the commercial and ferry port. As a major economic asset of the city, the "port de commerce" is the pulse of the city. It is even more so during the summer when ferry arrivals and departures of thousands of passengers and cars can sometimes cause long traffic jams along the north–south axis, the national road RN193. In front of the commercial port, the large Saint-Nicolas square represents the heart of the city. Just north of the commercial port, the Toga [[marina]], named after a city neighborhood, is a harbor for leisure boating activities like sailing and yachting. There are also some bars, restaurants and night clubs on its docks.

Thus, Bastia is organized on a relatively narrow north–south axis which can make access to the city centre difficult under particular circumstances.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} Nowadays, the city centre is mainly composed of the "citadelle", the stronghold, also called Terra-Nova, with the [[Republic of Genoa|Genoese]] Governors' Palace, the old port and port quarter and the market plaza, and finally the ensemble of buildings along the "Boulevard Paoli", the main commercial street of the city, which lies from the Justice Court to the Avenue Maréchal Sebastiani.

During the last few decades,{{when|date=May 2022}} Bastia and its region have experienced a strong demographic growth, which has caused somewhat of a suburban crawl in the south of the city, because of the congestion of the city center.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

===Geology and relief===
The commune is located in the Alpine Eastern Corsica region <ref group="Note">This region consists of a range of terrain resulting from a vanished ocean called ''Liguro-Piedmont'' (in the [[Tethys ocean]] whose age is between 170 to 60 Million years old) and its continental margins. The age of the Alpine Corsica region ranges from [[Triassic]] to recent.</ref> which is formed from "a succession of [[Autochthon (geology)|autochthons]] (fixed terrain), para-autochtons (weakly displaced terrain) and especially [[allochthon]]s (highly displaced terrain). The first two coincide roughly with the central depression. The allochhtons are mainly in the area of lustrous [[schist]]s and [[ophiolite]]s corresponding to the eastern relief ([[Cap Corse]] and Castagniccia)".<ref>[http://cgo.asso.free.fr/telechargement/LaCorse2010.doc ''Corsica – Simplified Geological Map of Corsica''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034551/http://cgo.asso.free.fr/telechargement/LaCorse2010.doc |date=4 March 2016 }}, Geology Centre of Oisans p. 6 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

Its base rests on a granite bedrock ([[Felsic]] granites from the [[Variscan orogeny|Hercynian]], plain rocks), which has been covered with oceanic layers of:

* Sedimentary rocks ([[Miocene]] to [[Quaternary]]) on the east coast, ranging from the mouth of the ''Ruisseau de Lupino'' north to the south bank of the mouth of the [[Travo River|Travo]]
* lustrous [[schist]]s along the entire eastern side of Cap Corse,
* ophiolite deposited in eastern Corsica during the [[Eocene]] period.

Note the presence of [[copper]] ore in Cardo which was once the subject of a concession.

Geographically, Bastia is characterized by its location between the sea and the mountains. The commune lies on the eastern flank of the "Serra di Pignu" a mountain which rises to 960 m above sea level. This steep mountain with other hills around Bastia forms the typical terrain of Cap Corse. This pronounced relief largely explains the development of the city on a coastal strip of about 1.5&nbsp;km in width which is a very limited proportion of the 19.38 km2 of the whole commune.

===Hydrography===
The river network is sparse. There are three small streams (or ''fiumes'') flowing from west to east:

* in the north the Ruisseau Fiuminale rises in the north-west of the commune 400 m north-east of Monte Muzzone (920 m).<ref>{{Sandre|Y7320540|Ruisseau Fiuminale|access-date=3 June 2022}}</ref> Along its length of 4.3 kilometres it forms the border between the communes of Bastia and [[Ville-di-Pietrabugno]] from its source to the roundabout of the Annunciation. Part of its course is covered in the city from the path of the Annunciation to the port where it empties into the [[Tyrrhenian Sea]]. It is fed by the ''Ruisseau de Cardo''.<ref group ="Note">The ''Ruisseau de Cardo'' is not mentioned in the Sandre database</ref>
* in the centre, the ''Ruisseau de Lupino'' is also 4.3 kilometres long with its source in the commune near the Cima Orcaio (769 m).<ref>{{Sandre|Y7320520|Ruisseau de Lupino|access-date=3 June 2022}}</ref> The stream is covered from the Abbatoir crossroad to its mouth.
* in the south the Ruisseau de Corbaia, 5.3 kilometres long.<ref>{{Sandre|Y7320500|Ruisseau de Corbaia|access-date=3 June 2022}}</ref> Its source is in the old quarry near the [[Col de Teghime]].

===Climate and vegetation===
Bastia possesses a [[Mediterranean climate]]. The average annual temperature is {{convert|16.3|°C|0|abbr=on}} and the average coldest night of the year barely goes below freezing. Winds are frequent and violent, precipitation copious, but there are also 240 sunny days on average per year.

{{Weather box
|location = Bastia (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1947–present)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 25.1
|Feb record high C = 26.6
|Mar record high C = 27.1
|Apr record high C = 25.4
|May record high C = 30.7
|Jun record high C = 35.7
|Jul record high C = 36.7
|Aug record high C = 38.3
|Sep record high C = 34.3
|Oct record high C = 29.7
|Nov record high C = 28.0
|Dec record high C = 24.0
|year record high C = 38.3
|Jan avg record high C = 18.4
|Feb avg record high C = 18.5
|Mar avg record high C = 20.5
|Apr avg record high C = 22.4
|May avg record high C = 27.0
|Jun avg record high C = 30.6
|Jul avg record high C = 32.6
|Aug avg record high C = 33.3
|Sep avg record high C = 30.1
|Oct avg record high C = 26.3
|Nov avg record high C = 22.1
|Dec avg record high C = 19.9
|year avg record high C = 34.1
|Jan high C = 13.8
|Feb high C = 13.9
|Mar high C = 15.8
|Apr high C = 18.3
|May high C = 22.4
|Jun high C = 26.4
|Jul high C = 29.4
|Aug high C = 29.8
|Sep high C = 26.0
|Oct high C = 22.0
|Nov high C = 17.7
|Dec high C = 14.8
|year high C = 20.9
|Jan mean C = 9.6
|Feb mean C = 9.5
|Mar mean C = 11.3
|Apr mean C = 13.7
|May mean C = 17.5
|Jun mean C = 21.4
|Jul mean C = 24.4
|Aug mean C = 24.8
|Sep mean C = 21.4
|Oct mean C = 17.7
|Nov mean C = 13.6
|Dec mean C = 10.6
|year mean C = 16.3
|Jan low C = 5.4
|Feb low C = 5.1
|Mar low C = 6.8
|Apr low C = 9.1
|May low C = 12.6
|Jun low C = 16.4
|Jul low C = 19.4
|Aug low C = 19.8
|Sep low C = 16.7
|Oct low C = 13.4
|Nov low C = 9.5
|Dec low C = 6.4
|year low C = 11.7
|Jan avg record low C = 1.1
|Feb avg record low C = 0.9
|Mar avg record low C = 2.4
|Apr avg record low C = 4.6
|May avg record low C = 8.6
|Jun avg record low C = 12.4
|Jul avg record low C = 15.9
|Aug avg record low C = 16.4
|Sep avg record low C = 12.6
|Oct avg record low C = 8.8
|Nov avg record low C = 4.4
|Dec avg record low C = 1.2
|year avg record low C = -0.4
|Jan record low C = -4.6
|Feb record low C = -5.0
|Mar record low C = -3.8
|Apr record low C = 0.5
|May record low C = 3.1
|Jun record low C = 8.2
|Jul record low C = 10.2
|Aug record low C = 11.8
|Sep record low C = 7.6
|Oct record low C = 2.8
|Nov record low C = -0.5
|Dec record low C = -3.3
|year record low C = -5.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 67.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 63.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 63.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 71.6
|May precipitation mm = 53.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 38.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 13.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 21.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 74.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 126.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 134.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 88.1
|year precipitation mm = 816.9
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.8
|Feb precipitation days = 6.2
|Mar precipitation days = 6.7
|Apr precipitation days = 6.9
|May precipitation days = 5.3
|Jun precipitation days = 3.1
|Jul precipitation days = 1.5
|Aug precipitation days = 2.2
|Sep precipitation days = 5.3
|Oct precipitation days = 7.1
|Nov precipitation days = 9.3
|Dec precipitation days = 8.0
|year precipitation days = 67.3
|Jan snow days = 0.9
|Feb snow days = 0.7
|Mar snow days = 0.3
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.1
|Dec snow days = 0.4
|year snow days = 2.5
|Jan humidity = 73
|Feb humidity = 73
|Mar humidity = 72
|Apr humidity = 74
|May humidity = 76
|Jun humidity = 73
|Jul humidity = 70
|Aug humidity = 71
|Sep humidity = 75
|Oct humidity = 76
|Nov humidity = 75
|Dec humidity = 74
|year humidity = 73.5
|Jan sun = 139.2
|Feb sun = 159.1
|Mar sun = 196.4
|Apr sun = 220.1
|May sun = 269.9
|Jun sun = 305.6
|Jul sun = 347.3
|Aug sun = 314.0
|Sep sun = 237.9
|Oct sun = 182.1
|Nov sun = 134.4
|Dec sun = 139.0
|year sun = 2644.9
|source 1 = Météo France<ref>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191020025034/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_20148001.pdf
| archive-date = 20 October 2019
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_20148001.pdf
| title = Bastia (20)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records
| publisher = Météo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 7 September 2022}}</ref>
|source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (humidity 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200100/http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07790-bastia-haute-corse.html
| archive-date = 4 March 2016
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07790-bastia-haute-corse.html
| title = Normes et records 1961–1990: Bastia – Poretta (2B) – altitude 10m
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = 8 January 2016}}</ref>
}}

{{Meteo France
|Town=Bastia<ref>[http://www.lameteo.org/index.php/climatologie/1570-normales-climatiques-1981-2010-bastia  Data from the Station at Bastia] from 1981 to 2010 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
|Sunshine=2,602.9
|Rain=771.3
|Snow=1.6
|Storm=33.3
|Fog=2.7
}}

The commune has two levels of vegetation as a result of its climate but also the flora:

* Thermo-mediterranean level: from 1 to 100 metres altitude on the south-facing slope. This level is characterized by a dry summer season from two to three months that promotes wild [[olive]]s, white [[asparagus]], [[Pistacia lentiscus|Mastic]]s, [[Euphorbia dendroides|Tree Spurge]]s, [[Clematis]], etc.
* Meso-Mediterranean level: from 100 to 1000 m above sea level on the south-facing slope and 0 to 700m on the north slope. This level, with cooler temperatures, is characterized mainly by the [[Quercus ilex|holm oak]], [[Maquis shrubland]] and [[arbutus]] but also by [[cork oak]] and [[maritime pine]] (on the sunny side), the [[downy oak]] (on the shady side), [[chestnut]], [[lavender]], [[broom]], [[cistus]], and [[lentisk]].<ref>[http://www.oec.fr/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=114 Office of the Environment of Corsica, ''The levels of vegetation in Corsica''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622034359/http://www.oec.fr/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=114 |date=22 June 2007 }} {{in lang|fr}}</ref> On the heights, between bare rocks, vegetation is stubbly – swept by frequent and violent westerly and south-westerly winds (the [[Libeccio]]) which become stronger after crossing the ridge of the Serra di Pigno and blow down along the valleys to the sea. The winds form remarkable [[lenticular cloud]]s off Bastia.