Sardinia

Sardinia, also called Sardegna in Italian, is a big island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the second largest island there, just after Sicily. Sardinia belongs to Italy. The biggest city is Cagliari, but another important city is Sassari. Over 1.5 million people live there today.

The island is very beautiful with mountains, forests, and long sandy beaches. Many people say Sardinia feels like a small world on its own. Long ago, a group of people called the Nuragic civilization lived there, and you can still see some of their old buildings.

Sardinia also has special languages that not many people speak anymore. These include the Sardinian language and a version of Catalan called Algherese. There are also other language mixes like Sassarese and Gallurese, which are a bit like the language spoken in nearby Corsica. The island works to protect these languages.

Etymology

The name Sardinia comes from very old roots that existed before the Latin language. It started with a pre-Roman word, which later changed in Roman times. The earliest known use of this name appears on the Nora Stone, where it was written as ŠRDN. This shows that the name was already used when Phoenician traders first arrived on the island.

Some stories say that Sardinia might have been named after a legendary woman named Sardṓ, who was born in Sardis, an ancient city in the Kingdom of Lydia. Others think the name might be linked to a group of people called the Sherden, who were part of the Sea Peoples. The name also connects to an ancient Sardinian hero-god named Sardus Pater. In old times, Sardinia was also known by other names.

History

Main article: History of Sardinia

See also: History of mining in Sardinia

Sardinia has been home to people since the end of the Paleolithic era, about 20,000 to 10,000 years ago. The island's most famous ancient culture is the Nuragic people, who lived there from around 1800 BC until around 238 BC.

After a time when the island was ruled together by the Nuraghic people and the Phoenicians, parts of it were taken over by Carthage in the late 6th century BC, and then by Rome in 238 BC. Rome ruled Sardinia for 700 years.

In the early Middle Ages, the island was ruled by the Vandals and then the Byzantines. Later, the Spanish Crown of Aragon took control in 1324 and ruled until 1713.

eventually passed to the House of Savoy in 1718, who ruled it until Italy was unified in 1861. Today, Sardinia is part of Italy as the Autonomous Region of Sardinia.

Prehistory

See also: Pre-Nuragic Sardinia

Sardinia is one of Europe's oldest lands. People lived there in waves from very early times.

Evidence from Corbeddu Cave suggests humans may have been on the island as early as 20,000 years ago.

The Neolithic period began around 6000 BC when farmers from Europe arrived.

Nuragic civilization

Main article: Nuragic civilization

From about 1500 BC, people built large stone towers called nuraghe to protect their villages.

The Nuraghic people controlled important resources like copper and traded with many other cultures.

Ancient history

See also: Sardinia and Corsica

Around the 9th century BC, the Phoenicians began visiting Sardinia for trade. Later, the Carthaginians took control of parts of the island.

In 238 BC, the Romans took over Sardinia and Corsica, making them a province. Roman rule lasted for nearly 700 years, bringing Latin language and culture.

Vandal conquest

See also: Vandal Sardinia

The Vandals, a Germanic tribe, took over Sardinia in 456. They were later defeated by the Byzantine general Belisarius, returning the island to Byzantine control.

Byzantine era and the rise of the Judicates

See also: Byzantine Sardinia and Sardinian medieval kingdoms

After the Vandals, Sardinia was ruled by the Byzantine Empire for about 300 years. The island was divided into regions governed by judges.

Over time, local rulers, known as Judges, emerged as independent leaders. Sardinia was divided into four small kingdoms or Judicates: Cagliari, Arborea, Gallura, and Torres or Logudoro.

Aragonese period

In 1324, with the help of the Kingdom of Arborea, the Crown of Aragon began taking control of Sardinia. They introduced new laws and a parliament.

The Judicate of Arborea resisted for many years but was eventually defeated in 1409. Aragon continued to rule Sardinia.

Spanish period

For about 400 years, from 1323 to 1708, Sardinia was ruled by Spain. During this time, many Spanish customs and traditions became part of Sardinian life.

Savoyard period

In 1708, after the War of the Spanish Succession, Sardinia came under the control of the House of Savoy. They introduced the Italian language and began a process of integrating Sardinia more closely with the Italian mainland.

In 1793, Sardinians successfully defended against a French attack.

Kingdom of Italy

When Italy was unified in 1861, Sardinia became part of the new Kingdom of Italy. During World War I, Sardinian soldiers served bravely. In the Fascist era, new towns and industries were developed.

Post-Second World War period

After World War II, Sardinia became part of the Italian Republic with special autonomy. Efforts were made to industrialize the island, but the 1973 oil crisis caused job losses.

Today, Sardinia is developing as a region focused on tourism and modern technology.

Geography

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily. It covers an area of 24,100 km². The island is west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia, and south of Corsica.

The coastline of Sardinia is very long and has rocky cliffs, wide bays, and many smaller islands. The highest point is Punta La Marmora, which is 1,834 m tall. Sardinia has few major rivers. The longest is the Tirso, which is 151 km long. The island has many artificial lakes and dams, like Lake Omodeo and Lake Coghinas. These help provide water and electricity.

The climate in Sardinia changes. Winters are mild near the coast, and summers are warm. In the mountains, winters are colder and summers are cooler. Rain usually falls in autumn and winter. Summers are often dry but can have brief, heavy thunderstorms. The Mistral wind often blows from the northwest, especially in winter and spring.

Environment

Sardinia has many forests, covering half of the island. This makes it the Italian region with the most forest areas. The island often has forest fires in the summer. Rules help protect the coast and natural areas from building.

Sardinia is home to many special plants and animals found nowhere else. It has unique salamanders, lizards, and birds like the griffon vulture and the greater flamingo. The island also has tortoises and sea turtles. Some animals from long ago are no longer alive today. Today, Sardinia has many protected areas, including three national parks and many regional parks and reserves.

Education

Sardinia has high education levels. Almost everyone under 65 can read and write. Most people go to school and many finish their studies.

The island has two big universities: the University of Sassari and the University of Cagliari. Many students go to these schools each year.

Cagliari has special learning places like the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Sardinia and the Istituto Europeo di Design.

Economy

Sardinia, an island region of Italy, has a strong economy, especially around Cagliari and Sassari.

Goods and electricity cost more to bring to the island, but Sardinia makes its own electricity and sends some to Corsica and mainland Italy. New projects are helping lower energy costs. Sardinia uses wind, solar, and water power.

The island is known for its sheep—there are almost four million! Farming is important too, with crops like wheat, olives, and tomatoes. Sardinia makes a lot of cork from its oak trees and produces cheese, especially pecorino romano.

Industry includes factories making chemicals, metals, and airplane parts. Tourism is very important, with many visitors coming to enjoy its beaches and small towns. Sardinia is also good at technology, with early advances in internet services and startups.

Communications

See also: Sardinia Radio Telescope

Sardinia is a leader in Italy for internet use and speed. It has the fastest broadband connections in the country and the highest percentage of users using 4G LTE technology. Big companies like ZTE and Huawei have labs and development centers on the island.

Sardinia was also the first region in Europe to switch completely to digital television. Since November 1, 2008, all TV channels have been broadcast in digital format only.

Transport

Airports

Sardinia has three big airports (Alghero-Fertilia/Riviera del Corallo Airport, Olbia-Costa Smeralda Airport and Cagliari-Elmas Airport). These airports connect Sardinia with big cities in Italy and many places in Europe, like the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany. There are also two smaller airports (Oristano-Fenosu Airport and Tortolì-Arbatax Airport). Sardinia has special ticket prices for its people traveling to Rome and Milan. Many budget airlines fly to the island.

Seaports

Big ferry companies connect Sardinian ports like Porto Torres, Olbia, Golfo Aranci, Arbatax, Santa Teresa Gallura and Cagliari with cities in Italy such as Civitavecchia, Genoa, Livorno, Naples, Palermo, Trapani and Piombino. They also go to places in France like Marseille, Toulon, Bonifacio, Propriano and Ajaccio, and to Barcelona in Spain. Porto Torres is the biggest port on the island. There are about 40 places along the coast where boats can stop for tourists.

Roads

Sardinia doesn’t have big highways, but it has many good roads called superstrade that connect the main towns, airports and ports. The main road is the SS131 “Carlo Felice”, going from south to north. There are buses that go to every town, but smaller places might need a car. The main cities like Cagliari, Iglesias, Oristano, Alghero, Sassari, Nuoro, Carbonia and Olbia have city buses.

Railways

Sardinia has two train companies. Trenitalia runs modern trains between big towns and ports. ARST runs slower trains on smaller tracks, including special old trains called the Trenino Verde that go through beautiful, wild places on the island.

Demographics

See also: Sardinian people, Corsican people, Italian people, Catalan people, and List of Sardinians

As of 2026, Sardinia has 1,554,490 people. About half are male and half are female. Young people make up 12% of the population, while older people make up 28.1%.

Sardinia is not very crowded, with only 65 people living in each square kilometer. This is less than a third of the crowd level in the rest of Italy. In the past, most people lived a little away from the coast because the coast was not safe. Now, many people live near the coast because of tourism, and the middle of the island has only a few people.

Sardinia has fewer babies being born each year than any other part of Italy. The number of people getting older is growing fast. Many small villages have fewer people now.

However, the number of people in Sardinia has stayed about the same because many people from other places, like the Italian mainland, Romania, Africa, and Asia, have moved there.

Life expectancy

People in Sardinia usually live a little over 82 years. Women live about 85 years, and men live about 79.7 years. Sardinia has many people who live over 100 years, more than almost any other place in the world. It was the first place found to have many people living very long lives.

Immigration

As of 2025, most people living in Sardinia were born in Italy (1,481,875 people, or 95.6%). Some people were born in Romania (10,683 people, or 0.7%).

Main cities and Functional Urban Areas

The biggest cities in Sardinia are Cagliari and Sassari. The area around Cagliari has 431,302 people, which is about a quarter of everyone living on the island. There are two main areas where lots of people live: Cagliari, with 477,000 people, and Sassari, with 222,000 people.

Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of Sardinia and List of political parties in Sardinia

See also: Regional Council of Sardinia and List of presidents of Sardinia

Sardinia is one of the five Italian autonomous regions. This means it has special rules and can make its own decisions in some areas. The region has its own laws and leaders.

The regional administration has three main parts:

• the Regional Council (makes the laws)
• the Regional Junta (runs the day-to-day work)
• the President (leads the government)

Since 2025, Sardinia is divided into two big cities and six smaller areas.

In April 2021, new plans were made to change how Sardinia is organized. These plans were approved by leaders in Sardinia. In March 2022, a special court said the plans were okay. By April 2023, more details were added, and the changes will be fully finished by 2025.

Sardinia has many military bases. About 60% of all military bases in Italy are on this island. These bases are used for training by Italy, NATO, and Israeli forces.

Some people worry about the health effects from these activities.

Culture

Sardinia is special because its laws treat its people as a special group. This is like another part of Italy called Veneto, but Sardinia's laws are protected by the country's rules.

Architecture

Sardinia has many old buildings, like tombs called domus de janas, big graves, and stone circles. The most famous old buildings are the nuraghes, big Bronze Age buildings that are still standing. The island also has remains from the Phoenicians and Punics from long ago.

The Romans built cities and left ruins like palaces and theaters. In the early Christian and Byzantine times, many churches were built. During the Judicates time, Romanesque architecture became popular, with many churches built, like the basilica of San Gavino. Castles were also built to keep the land safe.

In the 14th century, the Aragonese built Gothic churches in Cagliari. Renaissance architecture is seen in buildings like the cathedral of San Nicola in Sassari. Baroque architecture came later, with many churches changed. In the 19th century, new styles appeared, and in the 20th century, rationalist architecture grew, especially in new towns like Fertilia and Arborea.

Art

Ancient Sardinians made statues of the Mother Goddess and carved designs on pottery. The Nuragic people made small bronze statues and stone figures. The Romans brought mosaics and decorated homes with sculptures and paintings.

In the Middle Ages, churches were decorated with carvings, frescoes, and marble altars. In more recent times, Sardinian artists like Giuseppe Biasi and Francesco Ciusa showed the island's traditions. Other artists include Costantino Nivola and Pinuccio Sciola.

World Heritage Sites

The nuraghes, old stone buildings, are found all over Sardinia. Su Nuraxi di Barumini is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. In 2025, the domus de janas tombs were also named a UNESCO site.

Languages

Italian is the main language today, but Sardinia has its own language, Sardinian (sardu). Sardinian is different from Italian and is one of Italy's old languages. It has two main forms: Campidanese, spoken in the south, and Logudorese, spoken in the north.

Other languages in Sardinia include Sassarese, Gallurese, and Algherese (a Catalan dialect). Sardinian has been shaped by Catalan, Spanish, and Italian. Today, languages like Romanian, Arabic, Wolof, and Chinese are also heard in some places.

Literature

The first book in Sardinian was written in the 15th century. In the 16th century, Antonio Lo Frasso wrote a well-known poem. In the 19th century, writers like Giovanni Spano and Giuseppe Manno wrote about Sardinian history. Grazia Deledda, who won a Nobel Prize, and other writers like Emilio Lussu and Giuseppe Dessì told stories of Sardinian life.

Traditional clothes

Sardinia has colorful traditional clothes that show who people are. Each town has its own style, but the basic design is the same across the island.

Music

Sardinia is known for cantu a tenore, an old way of singing that UNESCO protects. Famous musicians like Frank Zappa and Peter Gabriel have recorded this music. Another special instrument is the launeddas, made from three reed canes. Traditional guitar songs, called cantu a chiterra, are also popular. Young people in Sardinia are keeping these music traditions alive.

Cuisine

Sardinian food includes meat, dairy, grains, and vegetables. Popular dishes are porcheddu (roasted young pig) and wild boar stew. Bread is very important, with types like pane carasau, a thin, crispy flatbread. Cheeses like pecorino sardo are famous. Sardinia also makes many wines and has its own beer, Birra Ichnusa, which is very popular.

Sports

Football

Cagliari has a team called Cagliari Calcio, started in 1920. They play in the top Italian league and won the Italian Championship in the 1969–70 Serie A season. Their home games are at the Unipol Domus.

Other teams on the island include Olbia Calcio from Olbia and Torres Calcio from Sassari. Torres' women's team, Torres Femminile, has won the national championship seven times.

The Sardinian national football team is part of CONIFA, a group for teams not in FIFA.

Basketball

Sassari is home to Dinamo Basket Sassari, the only professional basketball team from Sardinia. They play in the top Italian league and have won big prizes.

Motor racing

The Mores motor racing circuit in the Province of Sassari is Sardinia's only race track approved for cars and motorcycles.

Cagliari held a street race in 2002 and 2003. Since 2004, Sardinia has hosted the Rally d'Italia Sardegna, a major rally race.

Water sports

Sardinia is famous for scuba diving and snorkeling, especially around Alghero and Cala Gonone. Many diving centers offer equipment and tours.

The island has top sailing schools, like the Centro Velico Caprera and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. It also hosts big sailing races.

Porto Pollo near Palau is a popular spot for windsurfers and kitesurfers.

Cagliari holds many international sailing events.

Winter sports

There are four ski areas on the Gennargentu Range, with ski schools and rentals.

Traditional sports

S'Istrumpa, or Sardinian Wrestling, is a traditional sport. Sardinia also has many horse riders and a long history with darts.