SARDEGNA, SARDINIA, a large island in the Mediterranean Sea, situated between 3S' 52' and 41' 17' N. lat., from Cape Spartivento, the most southern point, to Cape Longosardo on the north, and between 8' 4' and 9' 50' E. long., from Cape Caccia near Alghero, the most western point, to Cape Comino on the eastern coast. It is 160 miles in length, the average breadth is 69 miles, leaving out the projections. The area is variously stated, some estimates making it 9300 square miles, which is considerably more than the area of Sicily, others make it only 8021 square miles, being a little less than that of Sicily. The north-eastern point of the island, near Terranova, is about 150 miles W. by S. from the mouths of the Tiber, and Cape Carbonaro, at the south eastern extremity, is about 300 miles W. from the coast of Calabria. Cape Spartivento, the most southern point of Sardinia, is about 120 miles north of Cape Serrat on the coast of Tunis ; and Cape Carbonaro, the south-east point, is 170 miles from Trapani on the north-west coast of Sicily. Towards the north, the narrowest part of the Strait of Bonifacio, which divides Sardinia from Corsica, is about 9 miles across. The situation of Sardinia is central with regard to Italy. Sicily, Barbary, France, and Spain. The island contains excellent harbours ; Sau Pietro and Porto-Couto on the western coast, the roadsteads of Meddalena ou the northern and Terranova on the eastern coast, besides the spacious bays of Cagliari, Palmas, Oristano, and Alghero, and the roadsteads of Vignola, Tortola and Porto Torres.
A chain of primitive mountains runs from north to south along the whole eastern side of the island, occupying about one-third of its sur face, and forming the wild districts of Gallura, Ogliastra, Barbargia, Sarabus, and Badui : this range consists of granite and schistus, with large masses of quartz, mica, and felspar. Few of the summits exceed 3000 feet, except the Peak of Limbarra in the Gallura, which is 36S6 feet high, and the Genargentu range, which is near the centre of the island, and attains an elevation of 5276 feet. West of this highland region, and along the central length of the island, there is a succession of fine plains intersected by ranges of smaller hills, and stretching in some places as far as the western coast, such as at Oristano and Alghero. The remaining part of the western coast is
occupied by several unconnected mountain groups, some primitive, some secondary, and others of volcanic formation, jutting out in nume rous and picturesque headlands, and giving to that part of the island a more varied and pleasing aspect than the abrupt and iron-bound eastern coast. At the south-western extremity of the island are the mountains of Sulcis, consisting of granite and primitive limestone, separated from the eastern chain by the Campidano, or wide plain, which spreads north of Cagliari towards Oristano. North of the Sulcis, and separated from it by the romantic valley of Iglesias, are the moun tains of Murgiani and Arcuentn, which rise along the western coast, and the latter of which attains the height of 2316 feet. North of these lies the deep Gulf of Oristano, and east of it is a great plain, through which flows the Tirsi, the principal river of Sardinia. North of this plain, and near the western coast, is the group of Monte Ferru, which rises 2796 feet above the sea; and farther north, towards Alghero, is Monte Minerva, 2400 feet high. A succession of highlands, partly of volcanic formation, extends north of the basin of the Tirsi, and quite across the breadth of the island, through the district of Goceano, and joins the mountains of Gallura on the eastern coast. This range divides the north-west part of the island from the remainder. At the northern base of it is the extensive plain called Campo d'Ozieri, and Campo di Giavesu, through which the river Coguinas flows to the northward. This plain is bouuded on the north-west by a hilly tract mostly of volcanic formation, one point of which, whereupon stands the town of Osilo, is 2000 feet high. West of this hilly tract is the plain of Sassari, extending from the northern coast at Porto Torres to the western sea towards Alghero.