Corsica: A Treasure Island
From a distance approaching it by sea,
Corsica appears to be a series of mountain peaks, often snow covered, before revealing the
contours of its shore. With an average altitude of 860 meters, it is the highest island in
the whole of the Mediterranean. A veritable Alpine range rises to more than 2,700 meters
at Monte Cinto, and some forty peaks reach a height of over 2,000 meters. By a miracle of
geological formation and erosion, its contours contain all possible contours in miniature,
needless pointing towards sky, the summits a striking white, jagged peaks sculpted by the
wind, steep-sided passes, gorges, broad majestic cirques and lush green ridges; as well as
a world of lakes, rushing streams, waterfalls and rivers inhabited by trout.
All the landscapes of the world: These
mountains were long used as a refuge by the inhabitants whose shores were threatened by
foreign incursions. They have led to the development of an entire mountain economy
sustained by shepherds, the emblematic figures of the island. Today sheep tracks and
footpaths run all over them. But these mountains have never forgotten that they have their
feet in the sea, and Corsica has always lived too with the riches and splendors of the
coast. With its 1.047 kms of coastline, Corsica is a summary of all the coasts in the
world: deep gulfs, the perfumed scents of the scrub, breath-takingly high white cliffs,
red and ochre headlands, hidden rocky inlets for which Maupassant was filled with
admiration, golden sandy beaches and dunes with sparse and unique vegetation.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who had flown over
so many of the world's most beautiful and magnificient landscapes, wrote in Spring 1944,
on his return from a mission shortly before his last trip:; "Corsica. I feasted my
eyes on its wonderful gulfs of swirling agate, on its beaches, on its hidden creeks, on
its snow-tipped mountains, its forests, its mysterious scrub, its streams and rivers, its
waterfalls and its thousand scents"'.
The island has been inhabited for more that
nine thousand years. Great megalithic art then blossomed throughout the island, as is
still evident in the box tombs, dolmens, standing stones and remarkable stone statutes
like those at Filitosa. Later the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians and the Greeks
established trading posts on the coast and used the timber from its forests, in particular
the great woods of Tartagine, to build their ships. In the 3rd century BC the Romans
founded towns such as Aleria here. Corsica supplied Rome with oil, wine and oysters.
Millennia of history: Once the days of the
Vandals and the Byzantines were over, mediaeval Corsica was joined to Pisa by papal
decree. The island then became covered with churches, chapels, convents and new villages
sprang up. It excited the covetousness of the Genoese who seized it in the late 13th
century. To assert their presence, the Genoese built superb citadels by the sea: Calvi,
Bonifacio, Bastia, Saint-Florent, Porto-Vecchio and Ajaccio. A complete network of roads
was then constructed those wonderful Gothic bridges and little later the great towers
along the coast to protect the island from invaders. Cultivation of vines, olive and
chestnut trees expanded rapidly.
But the power of the Genoese was not
unanimously approved and there were a great many rebellions, as there were against the
many attempts by the Spanish, and the French too, to conquer the island. In 1567 the
Genoese authorities granted Corsica its own government and peace prevailed for a hundred
and fifty years. The Balagne was cultivated like garden, the Agriates produced cereals,
the citadels by the sea became busy ports. Baroque art flourished in the tiniest villages
where the guilds built glorious chapels decorated with magnificient paintings.
In the 18th century, Corsica under the
influence of the great island figure, Pascal Paoli, was temptedto seek independence. It
minted its own coins, setup a national printing works and established a university in
Corte. But the Young State could not collect taxes, administer justice or provide it with
an army, so Genoa appealed to France to help with the administration of the island. In
1769 Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio. After the turmoil of the revolution, Corsica
linked its destiny with that of France. Its sons took a very active part in events, in the
fate of the nation. Many gave their lives for it. Villages became depopulated because of
emigration and the slaughter due to wars. But Corsicans still retain their rich culture
and the wonders of their heritage.
An outstanding heritage: The
flora and fauna here are the richest of all the Mediterranean lands. It is impossible to
forget the Laricio pine forests, the species of the scrub, the mountain flowers, the dunes
or the islands and islets that surround Corsica; not to mention the osprey that glide over
the cliffs of Scandola, a World Heritage site, the mouflons tackling the needles of
Bavella, and the great flocks of migrating birds making a brief stop on the surface of the
vast coastal pools, on the East coast.
With its people very much aware of their
traditions and their hospitality, its fabulous landscapes, its natural assets and cultural
heritages, Corsica, a little piece of France set in the Mediterranean, is the island of
all discoveries and all true delights.
Viewpoint: Japan
Manufacturing now for the future
Prof. Hajime Karatsu, Research Institute
of Science and Texhnology, Tokai University
From the 1960s, when Japan's high economic
growth period began, to the 1980s, Japan's manufacturing industry led the world, producing
such world-renowned brands as Sony and Honda. But when Japan's economic bubble burst in
1991, the country's manufacturing industry fell into recession. With an eye to breaking
entirely new ground, the Japanese government in 1995 enacted the Science and Technology
Basic Law and began vigorously investing in basic research and development in fields with
high potential for future growth.
The law places importance on promoting
cooperation between industry and academic world. The Basic Plan for Science and
Technology, established under the Science and Technology Basic Law, includes specific
measures to reassess existing regulations in order to facilitate joint research between
private companies and universities.
The Millennium Project involving industry,
government, and the academic world was launched in fiscal 1999. Under the project, three
areas were given budgetary preference: information technology, IT, biotechnology, and the
environment. If R&D expenditures in the private sector are combined with government
R&D spending, Japan's R&D expenditures relative to GDP weigh in at 3.6 percent,
one of the highest levels in the world.
In the past five years, these R&D
investments have begun to pay-off. Every year seven or eight Japanese companies including
NEC, Canon, and Sony, have been among the top 10 firms for American patents obtained.
Also, every year Japan records about 2.5 times more technology-related exports than
imports. It is often argued that Japan developed its economy by applying technologies
obtained from other countries, but now it is also exporting technology to Europe and the
United States.
Japan leads the world in manufacturing of
many different products, including house-hold electric appliances, automobiles, industrial
robots and silicon, which is used to make semiconductors. Japan's export used to be
centered on automobiles, but now machine parts and capital goods account for 70 percent of
its exports. These industries are all supported by Japan's strength in technology.
In what fields will the seeds of technology
be sown that will blossom into new industries in the next 10 to 20 years? I think they can
be grouped into four main areas: IT, biotechnology, new materials and energy.
In recent years, IT related technologies have
achieved dazzling results. Many cars and home appliances are equipped with Tron, an
operating system developed in Japan noted for its ease of use. Likewise, Japan excels in
the field of artificial intelligence. Its authentication technology based on fingerprint
and voice recognition has been developed with notable innovation. These and other
technologies are being integrated with separately developed conventional transport
infrastructure facilities such as roads and automobiles, to create intelligent transport
systems, ITS. The ITS concept provides for a futuristic road system in which road tolls
can be charged automatically via a wireless receiver when a vehicle passes through a
booth, and information about traffic congestion and accidents can also be easily obtained.
In the coming years, these information communication technologies will expand by further
integration with various other technologies.
Looking at biotechnology, Japan leads the
world in decoding the rice genome. If safety and ethical issues are cleared, the potential
for industrial application of the rice genome is enormous.
In the field of new materials, development of
super-metals with a durability twice that of steel is particularly noteworthy. The Science
and Technology Agency's National Research Institute for Material has been developing this
technology as one of its basic research projects. By slashing iron crystal content to
one-tenth its normal level, researchers at the institute have been able to achieve an
unprecedented degree of durability. At present Japan annually produces around 100 million
tons of steel, but with application of this technology, the steel thus produced would be
twice as durable as conventional steel. Reducing the amount of steel Japan would need to
produce to meet its demands by half. Of course, this would result in automobiles and ships
much lighter than they are today-a truly technological revolution.
Promising developments in the field of energy
are fuel cells. They produce electricity by making hydrogen extracted from natural gas and
other sources react with oxygen in the air. This method of producing electricity is not
only non-polluting, but the 100 degree C heat released when electricity is produced can be
used to supply hot water or for heating. These advantages have prompted one household
appliance maker to develop fuel cells for home use.
Of course, these developments in hi-tech
fields are not the only technologies that will be important in the future. One striking
feature of Japanese technology is that it is firmly intertwined with the Japanese people's
ability to skill-fully nurture existing technologies and discover new applications for
them. Many of the machine parts and capital goods that support Japan's exports today were
developed by making the best use of the experience and expertise in manufacturing that
Japan had accumulated over the years. Once Japan begins manufacturing a product
commercially, it can be expected to stick with it for a long time. And after tenaciously
striving to develop new technologies, it finds itself commanding a significant share of
the new market.
Thus it is that the seeds of biotechnology
and IT that have just been sown will undoubtedly bear fruit over the next ten years. Text
courtesy: Pacific Friend, September 2000, Vol.28 No.5, Embassy of Japan, Kathmandu. |
