 | Sardinia |  |
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| Ancient and amazing land |
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Sardinia lies in central Mediterranean Sea, between Corsica and the Tunisian coasts. Its provinces are Cagliari (chief city), Olbia-Tempio, Sassari, Nuoro, Tortolì-Lanusei (Ogliastra), Carbonia-Iglesias, Sanluri-Villacidro (Medio Campidano) and Oristano. After Sicily, it is the biggest Mediterranean island with its 24,090 sq/km, including all its minor islands. The furthest distances are 270 km North (Capo Falcone) and South (Capo Teulada); 145 km East (Capo Comino) South-West (Capo dell’Argentiera). Sardinia is amazingly nearer to North Africa than Italy!
The Eastern part is mainly mountainous, with granite stones especially in Gallura; the Western is more heterogeneous, with basalt and trachyte plains, many mineral deposits in the South (Sulcis Iglesiente). Campidano, the island’s biggest plain, lies between the Cagliari and Oristano gulfs. There are no mountain chains except for Gennargentu with the island’s highest peak, Punta la Marmora, (1834 m). |
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The Sardinian coast of 1,897 km (equal to a quarter of Italy) consists of high and steep reefs, especially in the North-East (Capo Caccia and Bosa) and in the South, with inlets that host some of the sandiest beaches of the Mediterranean. |
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| Its waters |
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Sardinia hasn't got any natural lakes, with only one exception constituted by the Baratz small lake situated in the oriental Nurra plain, under the “dell’Acqua” Mountain, and it has a maximum depth of only 20 meters. Neverthless, the artificial lakes are quite numerous, and carried out to collect the countless streams, which have a torrential character, often swell and impetuous in winter and quite dry in the summer.
The lakes which are more representative for their extension are:
- Omodeo lake, due to the barrage of Tirso river. In 1923, when the barrage was constructed, it represented the biggest dam in the world which gathered the widest artificial lake in Europe.
- Coghinas lake, arises from the obstruction of Coghinas river. This dam has been built in 1927 to satisfy hydroelectric functions. |
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- Flumendosa lake is placed in the territory of Villanova Strisaili, in the Southern slopes of Gennargentu. This lake originates from the Flumendosa river; it satisfies hydroelectric and irrigation functions.
- Gusana lake: it derives from the barrage of Gusana torrent, nearby Gavoi, where a 320 metres long dam was built.
- Flumendosa-Arcu S.Stefano lake: it is due to the damming of the Flumendosa nearby Orroli.
- Mulargia lake: it originates from the stopping of Mulargia torrent before its confluence with Flumendosa river.
The other lakes: Liscia Lake, Cedrino Lake. |
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The hydrographical network is formed by four main rivers, the Tirso, the Flumendosa, the Coghinas and the Flumini Mannu which run towards the four littorals sea for a total length of 9.963 km.
The Tirso, whose ancient name was Thyrsus, is the major Sardinian river. It is 159 km long, while the basin size is 3.375 kmq., and flows into the Oristano gulf. It rises in the granite upland of Buddusò at a height of 900 meters. Still in the Western coast, but in the North side of Tirso basin the stream Temo flows and at a distance of four kilometres from its mouth, where Bosa village is, its bed grows larger and larger till it becomes navigable. That's why it’s been created a small river port in Bosa Marina. The Flumendosa, which has its source in the huge massif of Gennargentu, is the Sardinian most important river, not just for its length (122 km), or for the width of the basin (1.826 kmq) but for the invaluable contribute that its water gives to the island economy. |
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| or for the width of the basin (1.826 kmq) but for the invaluable contribute that its water gives to the island economy. From Gennargentu it rises also the Cedrino, not very long ( 70 km) but among the most reach in water. The Coghinas, whose ancient name is Thermus, is formed at the confluence of two rivers coming from two different directions, Rio Mannu (Berchidda) and Rio Mannu (Ozieri). Flumini Mannu is the fourth river, with a length of about 86 km and runs till the Western coast near Oristano. |
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