(Sardegna), an island in the Mediterranean Sea, west of the Apennine Peninsula. Part of Italy, Sardinia is separated from the island of Corsica by the Strait of Bonifacio. Area, approximately 24,000 sq km.
The island has strong contours, with steep shores in the east and predominantly low ones in the west. Its relief is dominated by mountains of granite and schist. Mount La Marmora in the Gennargentu Massif, rising to 1,834 m, is the highest peak. In the west and northwest are lava and tuff plateaus. In the southwest is the isolated Iglesiente Massif.
The climate is subtropical and Mediterranean. Temperatures average 7°-10°C in January and 24°-26°C in July. The annual precipitation ranges from 600 mm on the plains to 1,000 mm in the mountains, with the greatest rainfall occurring in winter. Summers are dry. Sardinia’s rivers, of which the Tirso and the Flumendosa are the most important, are short and full of rapids. The high-water period occurs in winter; in summer the rivers become shallow. River water is used extensively for irrigation. The evergreen and deciduous forests (oak, chestnut, and alder) that once covered much of Sardinia have been largely cut down and now occupy only 4 percent of its territory, chiefly the more humid northern slopes. Shrub formations predominate—maquis in the north and gangue in the south.
E. P. ROMANOVA
(Sardegna), an administrative region in Italy, including the island of Sardinia and the neighboring small islands. The region is divided into the administrative provinces of Cagliari, Nuoro, Sassari, and Oristano. Area, 24,100 sq km. Population, 1,473,800 (1971). Cagliari is the largest city.
Economically one of the country’s most backward regions, Sardinia is losing part of its work force to northern Italy. Agriculture and mining are the chief branches of the economy. Since the 1960’s manufacturing has developed rapidly. Of the gainfully employed population, 24.1 percent is employed in agriculture, 29.4 percent in industry, and 41.2 percent in transportation, services, and various other economic activities. In 1973, 6.3 percent of the work force was unemployed.
Of the region’s 1.7 million hectares of farmland, 74.2 percent is occupied by pastures and meadows, 19.4 percent by tilled fields, and 6.2 percent by orchards and vineyards (as of 1973). Forests, chiefly of cork oak and pine, cover 13.3 percent of the region’s total area. The chief crops are cereals (wheat, oats, barley), legumes, and potatoes. Vegetables, grapes, plums, and citrus fruits are also raised. Some 162,000 tons of artichokes were harvested in 1973. Livestock, mainly sheep, products account for more than half of the region’s agricultural output. (In 1973, Sardinia had 2.6 million head of sheep, or one-third of Italy’s total number.) Fishing, chiefly for sardines and tuna, is important along the coast.
The region supplies four-fifths of Italy’s lead and zinc, half of its coal (mostly low-grade), and more than half of its fluorspar. The northwestern part of Sardinia has deposits of bauxites. Processing industries include the smelting of lead and zinc and the production of aluminum and alumina (at Portovesme). There are petroleum refineries at Sarroch and Porto Torres and petrochemical complexes near Cagliari and at Porto Torres. Among other industries are food processing, textile and leather production, woodworking, and electrical engineering. Sardinia also has a ship-repair industry. The production of hand-woven carpets is a traditional craft. Most of the 3.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity produced by the region were generated by steam power plants.
Historical survey. In the seventh century B.C., Phoenicians and Greeks established colonies on Sardinia. The island was subjugated by Carthage in 535 B.C. and by Rome in 238 B.C. There were numerous uprisings against Roman domination in the third and second centuries B.C., the largest one occurring in 178 B.C. In the fifth century A.D. the island was conquered by the Vandals, in the sixth and seventh centuries by the Byzantines and Goths, and in the eighth century by the Arabs. In the 11th century the Arabs were expelled from Sardinia by the combined forces of the republics of Pisa and Genoa, which later struggled for domination over the island.
The house of Aragon gained control of Sardinia in 1326. Spanish dominion lasted until 1708 when, during the War of the Spanish Succession, the island passed to Austria. The transfer was confirmed in 1714 by the Treaty of Rastatt. In 1720, by the Treaty of London, the island was ceded to the house of Savoy and became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Attempts by the French Army to conquer the island in 1793 were thwarted by the inhabitants. While Italy was under Napoleonic rule (1799–1814) and Piedmont was part of France, the Savoyard kings lived on the island. Sardinians were active in the struggle for the reunification of Italy, and the island became part of the unified Italian state that was created in 1861. After World War II democratic forces gained strength in Sardinia. In the municipal elections of 1974, the left-wing parties received about one-fourth of the votes.