Sardinia

I

Introduction

Sardinia (Italian Sardegna), island, off the west coast of Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea. The island contains the eight provinces of Cagliari, Carbonia-Iglesias, Medio Campidano, Nuoro, Ogliastra, Olbia-Tempio, Oristano, and Sassari which, together with adjacent small islands, constitute Sardinia Region, which has a total land area of 24,090 sq km (9,301 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

Sardinia is located immediately south of Corsica, being separated from it by the Strait of Bonifacio. The second-largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia is about 267 km (166 mi) long and about 120 km (75 mi) wide. The surface is generally mountainous, the highest point being Marmora Peak, in the Monti del Gennargentu, which rises to a height of 1,834 m (6,017 ft).

Three national parks are located within the Sardinia Region. The National Park of La Maddelena Archipelago (established in 1996) incorporates the Maddalena island group and the surrounding coastal waters. The protected area occupies 5,134 hectares (12,686 acres) of land and 15,046 hectares (37,179 acres) of surrounding sea waters. Asinara National Park, established 1997, is coterminous with Asinara Island, off Sardinia’s north-western coast. The region’s second-largest island, Asinara has an area of 52 sq km (20 sq mi) and includes a large holm oak forest, as well as coastal dunes and expanses of Mediterranean scrubland. The National Park of the Orosei Gulf and Gennargentu—a vast area of pastures, woodland, and wilderness—was established on Sardinia’s eastern coast in 1998.

III

Population

Around 1,659,443 people live on Sardinia (2007 estimate). The region has an average population density of 69 people per sq km (177 per sq mi). Major cities include Cagliari, the capital (2007 estimate, 159,312); Sassari (2007 estimate, 128,611); Olbia (2007, 50,150); Alghero (2007 estimate, 40,563); Nuoro (2007 estimate, 36,454); Carbonia (2007 estimate, 30,227); and Iglesias (2007 estimate, 27,773).

Italian is the official language of Sardinia, although Sardinian (classified as part of the Southern sub-group of Romance languages) has been given official regional language status on the island. Catalan is also spoken in the town of Alghero, a former Aragonese colony. There is an important Bronze Age archaeological site at Barumini, with more than 7,000 well-preserved defensive structures, known as nuraghi. The nuraghi were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The University of Sassari (1562) and the University of Cagliari (1606) are the leading institutions of higher education.

IV

Economy

The best farmland is in the Campidano, a plain in the south-western part of the island. Livestock raising and farming are the chief occupations; grain, olives, grapes, and tobacco are grown. Other important industries on Sardinia include fishing and the mining of lead, zinc, copper, and salt. Tourism has increased in recent years; the main resort area is on the north-eastern coast, in an area known as the Costa Smeralda, which has been under development since the 1960s. In the north-west of the island, Alghero is a fishing port, popular with overseas visitors.