SARDINIA, an island of the Mediterranean sea, belonging to Italy. It lies 71 m. S. of Corsica, from which it is separated by the Strait of Bonifacio, some 5o fathoms deep. The harbour of Terranova, in the north-eastern portion of the island, is 125 m. south-west of Civitavecchia, the nearest point on the mainland of Italy. Sardinia lies between 8° 7' and 9° 49' E., and extends from 38° 52' to 41° 15' N. The length from south-west to north is about 16o m., the breadth about 68 miles. The area of the island is 9,187 sq.m. or including the small islands adjacent, 9,294 sq.m. and it has inhabitants. It is divided into three provinces, Cagliari, Nuoro and Sassari. The density of population is lower than that of any other part of Italy, coming slightly below that of Basilicata (for details see ITALY).
The island is mountainous, almost continuously so along the coast, and largely granitic with lofty upland plains in the east, and volcanic in the west. The highest point in the north-east group of the island (called Gallura) is Monte Limbara (4,468 ft.) south-east of Tempio. The valleys on the south-east and south west are followed by the railway from Golfo degli Aranci to Chilivani and Sassari. The north-western portion of the island, called the Nurra, is entirely volcanic; so are the mountains to the south of it, near the west coast; the highest point is the Monte Ferru (3,448 feet). East of the railway from Chilivani to Oris tano, on the other hand, the granitic mountains continue. The highest points are Monte Rasu (4,127 ft.), south of Ozieri, in the district called Logudoro, and, farther south, in the region called Barbargia, the Punta Bianca Spina, the highest summit of the chain of Gennargentu (6,o16 'feet). These two groups are divided by the deep valley of the Tirso, the only real river in Sardinia, which has a course of 94 miles, South of Gennargentu, in the district of the Sarcidano, is the Monte S. Vittoria (3,980 feet). Still farther west is the volcanic upland plain of the Giara (1,988 ft.) and south of the Sarcidano are the districts known as the Trexenta, with lower, fertile hills, and the Sarrabus, which culminates in the Punta Serpeddi (3,507 ft.), and the Monte
dei Sette Fratelli (3,333 ft.), from the latter of which a ridge descends to the Capo Carbonara, at the south-east extremity of the island. South of Oristano, traversed by the railway to Ca gliari, is the Campidano (divided into the Campidano of Oristano and the Campidano of Cagliari), a low plain, the watershed of which is only about Ioo ft. above sea-level. It is 6o m. long by island. South west broad, and is the most fertile part of the sland. South west of it are the fine mountain groups around Iglesias feet). In this south-western portion of the island the mining industry of Sardinia is carried on.
Coast.—The coast of Sardinia contains few seaports, but a good proportion of these are excellent natural harbours. At the north eastern extremity is a group of islands, upon one of which is the naval station of La Maddalena : farther south-east is the well protected Gulf of Terranova, the port of arrival for the mail steamers from Civitavecchia. To the south of Terranova there is no harbour on the east coast until Tortoli is reached, nor on the south coast before Cagliari, the most important harbour on the island. In the south-western portion of Sardinia the island of S. Antioco, joined by a narrow isthmus and a group of bridges to the mainland, forms a good natural harbour to the south of the isthmus, the Golfo di Palmas; while the north sec tion of the peninsula, with the island of S. Pietro, forms a more or less protected basin, upon the shores of which are several small harbours (the most important being Carloforte), which are centres of the export of minerals and of the tunny fishery. Not far from the middle of the west coast is the Gulf of Oristano, into which, besides the Tirso, several streams fall, forming con siderable lagoons. Bosa has only an open roadstead ; and at the southern extremity of the Nurra come the Gulf of Alghero and the Porto Conte to the west. Porto Torres is the chief port on the north-west coast of Sardinia.