Sardinia (Italy)(pronounced /sɑrˈdɪniə/; Italian: Sardegna, [sarˈdeɲɲa];
Sardinian: Sardigna or Sardinnya [sarˈdinja]) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and before Cyprus). It is an autonomous region of Italy.
Sardinia island, the second largest in the Mediterranean basin, Surface 23,821 km².
The coasts of Sardinia (1,849 km long) are generally, overhanging cliffs, with long, quite straight stretches of coastline, many outstanding hills, a few wide, deep bays, rias, many inlets and with various smaller islands off the coast.
Sardinia has the most ancient geoformation of Europe and, differently from Sicily and the mainland of Italy, is not an seismic zone at all. Its rocks date from the Palaeozoic Era (up to 500 million years old). Due to long erosions, the island's highlands, composed of granite, schist, trachyte, basalt (called "jars" or "gollei"), sandstone and dolomite limestone (called tonneri or "heels"), average at between 300 to 1,000 metres. The highest peak is Punta La Marmora (1,834 m), part of the Gennargentu Ranges in the centre of Sardinia. Other mountains are Monte Limbara (1,362 m) in the north-east, the Chain of Marghine and Goceano (1,259 m) running crosswise for 40 km (24.85 mi) towards the north, the Monte Albo (1057 metres), the Sette Fratelli Range in the south-east, and the Sulcis Mountains and the Monte Linas (1236 metres) in the south-west. The island's ranges and plateaux are separated by wide alluvial valleys and flatlands, the main ones being the Campidano in the southwest between Oristano and Cagliari and the Nurra in the northwest.
Climate
The island has a typical Mediterranean climate. During the year there are approximately 300 days of sunshine, with a major concentration of rainfall in the winter and autumn, some heavy showers in the spring and snowfalls in the highlands. The average temperature is between 11 to 17 °C (52 to 63 °F).[2] The Mistral from the northwest is the dominant wind on and off throughout the year, though it is most prevalent in winter and spring. It can blow quite strongly, but it is usually dry and cool and makes for a sailor's paradise.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|