Geography

The island of Sardinia is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, between Corse and the Tunisian coasts.

With its 24.090 square kilometres, including the smaller isles, it is the second Italian island, after Sicily; its maximum distances are 270 km from the northern extremity (Capo Falcone) to the southern (Capo Teulada), and 145 km from its eastern extremity (Capo Comino) to the western (Capo dell’Argentiera).

It is divided into four provinces: Cagliari, Sassari, Nuoro and Oristano. Cagliari, the chief town, where the regional administrative offices are, is situated to the south.

Because of its indentation and of the great number of creeks, the coastline, 1897 km long, is about a quarter of the Italian coastal total length.

At first sight the island looks like a very compact tabular mass, but it is formed by the union of very different geomorphic landscapes; in fact the Sardinian-Corsican block dates back to the Cambrian, so it has gone through different lithological formations that have been dislocated by the tectonic movements.

The soil is hilly in its 67,9%, mountainous in its 13,6% and level in the 18,5%.  The eastern side is mostly mountainous, with beautiful granitic areas (Gallura), while the western is more heterogeneous, with basaltic and trachytic tablelands and very rich in coal seams and mineral mines in its southern part (Sulcis Iglesiente): between Cagliari and Oristano’s Gulf the largest tableland of the island, Campidano, is found.

Mountains

There are no mountain ranges, except for Gennargentu, where the island’s highest top, Punta La Marmora (1834 metres), is.

Climate

The climate is Mediterranean, characterized by hot long  summer and short winter; Mistral is the prevalent wind.

Rivers

Because of the drought, all the rivers (Flumendosa and Cedrino in the eastern part, Mannu-Coghinas, that flows in Asinara Gulf, to the north-west,  and Tirso, whose mouth is in the Gulf of Oristano) are mostly torrential, and the only natural lake is that of Bàratz.

The others (Omodeo and Coghinas are the principal) are artificial.

There are a large number of coastal ponds (Santa Gilla, Cabras, Santa Giusta, Quartu and Montelargius).

Flora & Fauna

The species of flora and fauna typical of the region of Sardinia, like the monk seal, the mouflon, and the Sardinian hen sparrow and hawk, while foxes and fallow deer have assumed different characteristics from the specimen of other places.

Because of the frequent fires, the spontaneous vegetation is very rare and mostly composed of wild olive, mastic tree, carob, myrtle and strawberry trees, ilex and cork oak. But Sardinia is mostly characterised by its beautiful coastline, where you can find wonderful beaches.