Sardinia (Italian: Sardegna, Sardinian: Sardigna) is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy. It was formerly the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Sardinia
Sardegna | |
|---|---|
.svg) Flag  Coat of arms | |
 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Capital | Cagliari |
| Government | |
| • President | Francesco Pigliaru (PD) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 24,090 km2 (9,300 sq mi) |
| Population (30 November 2012)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,648,837 |
| • Density | 68/km2 (180/sq mi) |
| • Official languages[source?] | Sardinian |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| GDP/ Nominal | €33,638[2] billion (2011) |
| GDP per capita | €20,071[2] (2011) |
| NUTS Region | ITG (Insular Italy) |
| Website | www.regione.sardegna.it |
The official name is, in Italian, Regione Autonoma della Sardegna.The capital and largest city is Cagliari.
Geography
The island of Sardinia has an area of 24,090 km2 (9,300 sq mi) and, after Sicily, is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is 270 km (170 mi) long from North to South, and 145 km (90 mi) wide from West to East. It lies between 38° 51' and 41° 15' latitude north and 8° 8' and 9° 50' longitude east.
The island is on the western Mediterranean Sea, between the island of Corsica to the north and Tunisia to the south. The Tyrrhenian Sea part of the Mediterranean is directly east of Sardinia, between the Sardinian east coast and the west coast of the Italian mainland peninsula.
The Strait of Bonifacio (Corsican: Bucchi di Bunifaziu, French: Bouches de Bonifacio, Gallurese: Bocchi di Bunifaciu, Italian: Bocche di Bonifacio) is the strait between Corsica and Sardinia, named after the Corsican town Bonifacio. It is 11 km (6.8 mi) wide [3] and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea from the western Mediterranean Sea.
Rivers
Sardinia has few major rivers, the largest being the Tirso, 151 km (94 mi) long, which flows into the western Mediterranean Sea, the Coghinas (115 km [71 mi]) and the Flumendosa (127 km [79 mi]).
Mountains and valleys
The highest peak is Punta La Marmora (1,834 m [6,017 ft]), part of the Gennargentu group of mountains in the centre of the island. Other mountain chains are Monte Limbara (1,362 m [4,469 ft]) in the northeast, the Chain of Marghine and Goceano (1,259 m [4,131 ft]) running crosswise for 40 kilometres (25 miles) towards the north, the Monte Albo (1,057 m [3,468 ft]), the Sette Fratelli massif in the southeast, and the Sulcis Mountains and the Monte Linas (1,236 m [4,055 ft]).
The mountain chains of the island are separated by wide valleys; the main ones are Campidano in the southwest between Oristano and Cagliari, and the Nurra in the northwest.
Islands
There are many small islands around the main island of Sardinia. Some of them are:
- Maddalena Archipelago, to the northeast
- Asinara, to the northwest
- San Pietro Island, to the southwest
- Sant'Antioco, to the southwest
Administrative divisions
Sardinia is divided in eight provinces:
| Province | Capital | Area (km²) | Population[1] (2012) |
Density (inh./km²) |
Communes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cagliari | Cagliari | 4,570 | 551,077 | 120.6 | 71 |
| Carbonia-Iglesias | Carbonia and Iglesias | 1,495 | 127,958 | 85.6 | 23 |
| Medio Campidano | Sanluri and Villacidro | 1,516 | 100,624 | 66.4 | 28 |
| Nuoro | Nuoro | 3,934 | 158,314 | 40.2 | 52 |
| Ogliastra | Lanusei and Tortoli | 1,854 | 57,321 | 30.9 | 23 |
| Olbia-Tempio | Olbia and Tempio Pausania | 3,399 | 152,455 | 44.9 | 26 |
| Oristano | Oristano | 3,040 | 163,079 | 53.6 | 88 |
| Sassari | Sassari | 4,282 | 329,551 | 77.0 | 66 |
References
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