Sardinia
Geography
Status	Autonomous region
Capital	Cagliari
President	Renato Soru (Independent-Union)
Provinces	Cagliari Carbonia-Iglesias Medio Campidano Nuoro Ogliastra Olbia-Tempio Oristano Sassari
Area	24,090 km²
- Ranked	3rd (8. Article 116 of the Italian Constitution contemplates that five of the 20 regions of Italy shall benefit of particular conditions of Autonomy Renato Soru (born 16 August 1957) is an Italian entrepreneur the founder of the internet service company Tiscali, based in Cagliari. The Union ( Italian: L'Unione) was an Italian Centre-left Political party coalition led by Romano Prodi, the In Italy, a Province (in Italian provincia) is an administrative division of intermediate level between Municipality ( Comune Cagliari ( Provincia di Cagliari; Sardinian: Provìntzia de Casteddu) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Carbonia-Iglesias (Provincia di Carbonia-Iglesias Provìntzia de Carbònia-Igrèsias is a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy which includes the Medio Campidano (Provincia del Medio Campidano Provìntzia de su Campidanu de Mesu is a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy. Nuoro ( Provincia di Nuoro; Sardinian: Provìntzia de Nùgoro) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy Ogliastra (Provincia dell'Ogliastra Provìntzia de s'Ogiastra is a province in eastern Sardinia, Italy. Olbia-Tempio (Provincia di Olbia-Tempio Provìntzia de Terranòa-Tèmpiu is the name of a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy. Oristano (Provincia di Oristano Provìntzia de Aristanis is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. Sassari (Provincia di Sassari Provìntzia de Tàtari Prubìnzia di Sàssari is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of These are ranked lists of the regions of Italy. Population figures are from 2001 0 %)
Population (2006 est. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology )
- Total	1,655,677
- Ranked	11th (2. These are ranked lists of the regions of Italy. Population figures are from 2001 8 %)
- Density	69/km²

Sardinia (pronounced /sɑrˈdɪnɪə/; Italian: Sardegna; Sardinian: Sardigna or Sardinian: Sardinnya) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily). Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Sardinian ( Sardu, Saldu) is after Italian the main language spoken in the island of Sardinia, Italy, remarkable for being the most conservative Sardinian ( Sardu, Saldu) is after Italian the main language spoken in the island of Sardinia, Italy, remarkable for being the most conservative This is a list of Islands in the Mediterranean Sea: By area By country Croatia Croatian islands Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The area of Sardinia is 24,090 square kilometres (9,301 sq mi). The island is surrounded (clockwise from north) by the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands. Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Th Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the three Peninsulas of Southern Europe Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. The Balearic Islands ( Catalan and official Illes Balears; Spanish: Islas Baleares) are an Archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sardinia is a constitutional part of Italy, with a special statute of regional autonomy under the Italian Constitution. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Constitution of the Italian Republic (Costituzione della Repubblica Italiana was enacted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 December 1947 with 453 votes in favour and 62

Around the beginning of the nuragic age circa 1500 BC the island was first called Hyknusa (Latinized Ichnusa) by the Mycenaeans, probably meaning island (nusa) of the Hyksos, the people who had just been expelled by Ahmose I of Egypt circa 1540 BC. The nuraghe (IPA) (plural in Italian nuraghi, while in Sardinian nuraghes) is the main type of Megalithic Edifice found in Sardinia "Lion Gate" redirects here For other uses see Lions' Gate (disambiguation. The Hyksos ( Egyptian heqa khasewet, "foreign rulers" Greek,, Arabic,) were an Asiatic people who invaded the eastern Nile See Amasis II for the 26th Dynasty pharaoh whose name sometimes appears as Ahmose II Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Sandalyon was another name, probably due to its shape, resembling a footprint. Its present name is Sardinia, after the Shardana (whose invasion of Egypt was defeated by Ramesses III circa 1180 BC). The Sherden (also known as Serden or Shardana sea pirates are one of several groups of " Sea Peoples " who appear in fragmentary historical records ( Egyptian This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Culture 3.1 Music 3.2 Language 3.3 Sport 3.4 World Heritage Sites 4 Economy 5 Transport 6 Demographics 6.1 Genetics 7 Environment 8 See also 9 External links 10 Line notes 11 References

History

Main article: History of Sardinia

Sardinia has been inhabited for many thousands of years. The history of Sardinia begins with its human settlement some hundreds of thousands of years ago In 1979 human remains were found that were dated to the 150,000 BC. The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" In 2004, in a cave in Logudoro, a human phalanx was found that was dated to circa 250,000 BC.

In prehistory the inhabitants of Sardinia developed a trade in obsidian, a volcanic glass used for the production of stone age tools, and this activity brought Sardinians into contact with most of the Mediterranean people. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" Obsidian is a naturally occurring Glass formed as an extrusive Igneous rock. Dried grapes, recently found in several locations, have been DNA tested and proved to be the oldest grapes in the world, dating back to 1200 BC. The Cannonau wine is made from these grapes and may therefore qualify as the mother of all the European wines. Sardinia is the 2nd largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

From Neolithic times until the Roman Empire, the Nuragic civilisation developed on the island. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The history of Sardinia begins with its human settlement some hundreds of thousands of years ago There are still more than 9,000 Nuraghe extant. The nuraghe (IPA) (plural in Italian nuraghi, while in Sardinian nuraghes) is the main type of Megalithic Edifice found in Sardinia It is speculated that, along with other peoples, the Shardana people from the eastern Mediterranean settled in Sardinia. The Sherden (also known as Serden or Shardana sea pirates are one of several groups of " Sea Peoples " who appear in fragmentary historical records ( Egyptian The Shardana had joined the Shekelesh and others to form the coalition of the Sea Peoples, but were defeated by Ramesses III around 1180 BC in Egypt. The Sea Peoples is the term used for a confederacy of seafaring raiders of the second millennium BC who sailed into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, caused political The Sea Peoples is the term used for a confederacy of seafaring raiders of the second millennium BC who sailed into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, caused political Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great The Shardana and Shekelesh were also called by the Egyptians "the people from the faraway islands", suggesting that the Shardana were already resident on Sardinia at the time. This article is about the contemporary North African ethnic group This assertion may hold some truth; most of the tombe dei giganti have a tombstone shaped like a ship vertically sunk into the ground, bearing witness to their sea traveling activities. Giants' grave (Italian Tomba dei giganti, Sardinian: Tumbas de sos gigantes) is the name given by local people and Archaeologists Evidence of early trade and contact with other Mediterranean cultures exitst; for example, fine ceramic products of ancient Cydonia on Crete have been found at Sardinian archaeological sites. Cydonia or Kydonia was an important ancient City-state on the northwest coast of the island of Crete. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos ^[1] According to some linguistic studies, the town of Sardis (in Lydia) would have been the starting point from which they would have reached the Tyrrhenian Sea, dividing into what were to become the Sardinians and the Etruscans. Sardis, also Sardes ( Lydian: Sfard, Greek: Σάρδεις, Persian: Sparda) modern Sart in Defining Lydia Aside from a legend related by Herodotus, who states that the name Lydia came from king Lydus at the time of the fall of Troy The Tyrrhenian Sea (Mar Tirreno is part of the Mediterranean Sea off of the western coast of Italy. Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy

However most theories regarding the original population of Sardinia were formulated prior to genetics research and in the traditional framework of east-west movements. Genetic studies show that the population of Sardinia is quite distant from their neighbors. This is partially due to genetic drift due to isolation, though other reasons, such as ties with pre-Indo-European Neolithic peoples, may also have contributed to this distance. In Population genetics, genetic drift is the accumulation of random events that change the makeup of a gene pool slightly but often compound over time

The density, extensiveness, and sheer size of the architectural remains from the Neolithic period all point to a considerable population of the island. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Early contact with Crete is indicated from archaeological recovery on Sardinia. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Beginning around 1000 BC, Phoenician mariners established several ports of trade on the Sardinian coast. Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun In 509 BC, war broke out between the native Nuragic people and the Phoenician settlers. The settlers called for help from Carthage (themselves ultimately Phoenician settlers), and the island became a province in the Carthaginian Empire. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers In 238 BC, after being defeated by the Roman Republic in the First Punic War, Carthage was forced to fight an uprising against former mercenaries who had not received their promised pay in a conflict known as the Mercenary War. Events By place Carthage Hamilcar Barca strikes at the supply lines of the mercenary army besieging Carthage, forcing them to The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The First Punic War ( 264 to 241 BC) was the first of three major wars fought between Carthage and the Roman Republic. The Mercenary War ( c[[ 40 BC]] — also called the Libyan War and the Truceless War by Polybius — was an uprising of Mercenary Rome jumped at this opportunity to annex Corsica and Sardinia without resistance from the overstretched Carthaginians. Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily

During the Roman period, the geographer Ptolemy noted that Sardinia was inhabited by the following peoples, from north to south: the Tibulati and the Corsi, the Coracenses, the Carenses and the Cunusitani, the Salcitani and the Lucuidonenses, the Æsaronenses, the Æchilenenses (also called Cornenses), the Rucensi, the Celsitani and the Corpicenses, the Scapitani and the Siculensi, the Neapolitani and the Valentini, as well as the Solcitani and the Noritani. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca The Tibulati ( Greek:) also called Tibulates and Tibulatii, were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Corsi were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Coracenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Carenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Cunusitani were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Salcitani were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Lucuidonenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Æsaronenses or Aesaronenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Æchilenenses also called the Cornenses and Æchilenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Rucensi were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Celsitani were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Corpicenses were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Scapitani were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Siculensi were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Neapolitani were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Solcitani also called the Sulcitani were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 The Noritani also called Norenses the were an ancient people of Sardinia, noted by Ptolemy (III 3 Ptol. III, 3.

From 456 - 534, Sardinia was a part of the short-lived kingdom of the Vandals in North Africa, until it was reconquered by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Capua is destroyed by the Vandals. Events By Place Byzantine Empire January 1 — Decimus Theodorius Paulinus is appointed Consul (the last to hold this Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus ( Greek: Φλάβιος Πέτρος Σαββάτιος Ιουστινιανός; known in English as Justinian I or During this time a considerable number of Vandals and Iranian Alans settled on the island with significant traces of their Haplogroup I (Y-DNA) there to this day. The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people In Human genetics, Haplogroup I is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup, a subgroup of haplogroup IJ, itself a derivative of Haplogroup F. Under the Byzantines, the imperial representative was a judge who governed from the southern city of Caralis. Byzantine rule was practically nonexistent in the mountainous Barbagia region in the eastern part of the island, and an independent kingdom persisted there from the sixth through ninth centuries. Barbagia is an area of inner Sardinia. The name comes from Cicero, who described it as a land of Barbarians.

Beginning in the eighth century, Arabs and Berbers began raiding Sardinia. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. After the Muslim conquest of Sicily in 832, the Byzantines were unable to effectively defend their most distant province, and the provincial judge assumed independent authority. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Events By Place Europe Pepin of Aquitaine and Louis the German revolt against Louis the Pious, Emperor of the Franks To provide for local defense, he divided the island into four giudicati, Gallura, Logudoro, Arborea, and Caralis. The giudicati (singular giudicato) were the indigenous kingdoms of Sardinia from about 900 until 1410 when the last fell to the Aragonese Gallura is a geographical and cultural region in northern Sardinia, Italy. The Giudicato of Logudoro (also known as the Giudicato of Torres after Porto Torres) is a historical state which covered the northwest portion The Giudicato of Arborea was one of the four independent hereditary "judicatures" ( Giudicati) into which the island of Sardinia was By 900, these districts had become four independent constitutional monarchies. At various times, these fell under the sway of Genoa and Pisa. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Ligurian Sea. In 1323, the Kingdom of Aragon began a campaign to conquer Sardinia. The Kingdom of Aragon was an old kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon ( The giudicato of Arborea successfully resisted this and for a time came to control nearly the entire island, but its last ruler William III of Narbonne, was eventually defeated by the Aragonese in the decisive Battle of Sanluri, June 30, 1409. William III was the nominal Duke of Narbonne and Judge of Arborea (1407&ndash1420 The Battle of Sanluri was fought on June 30, 1409 between the armies of the Giudicato of Arborea (a kingdom in Sardinia) and the Catalan-Sicilian Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper The native population of the city of Alghero (S'Alighera in Sardinian, L'Alguer in Catalan) was expelled and the city repopulated by the Catalan invaders, whose descendants still speak Catalan. Alghero ( l'Alguer in Catalan and S'Alighèra in Sardinian) is a town of about 42000 inhabitants (down from 54300 inhabitants since early Algherese (standard Catalan Alguerès, Algherese Alguerés) is the variant of the Catalan language spoken in the city of Alghero ( L'Alguer After the merging of the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, Sardinia was incorporated into the newly created national entity, Spain. The town of Sassari proclaimed itself a free Republic, allied to Genoa, in 1290. Sassari (in Italian and Sassarese, Tàthari in Sardinian) is a town in the Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English

Under Spanish domination, Sardinians were regularly employed on the royal Spanish fleet. On October 7 in 1571, at the Battle of Lepanto, Sardinian mariners on board the admiral ship of Infante Don John of Austria, half brother of Felipe II, boarded the Turkish admiral ship, overpowered the crew, and beheaded a Turkish admiral. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) The Battle of Lepanto ( Greek: Ναύπακτος Naupaktos, pron The sight of the admiral's head on a spear put such fear into the Turks that they abandoned the fight and surrendered completely to the Christians. This was the first time that the Turks lost a battle to Europeans, thus signaling a trend of military decline and defeats from which Turks never recovered.

In 1718 Sardinia became an 'independent' vassal kingdom under the House of Savoy, the rulers of Piedmont. Year 1718 ( MDCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, The House of Savoy (Casa Savoia was formed in the early eleventh century in the historical Savoy region Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. In 1792, Jean-Paul Marat, son of a Sardinian father from Cagliari and a Swiss mother, was one of the triumvirate leading the French Revolution. Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an In 1793, Sardinians rebelled, demanding autonomy in exchange for helping to defeat French invasion forces. Autonomy was granted within the united kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, but after the French threat to the kingdom lessened, the king reclaimed his authority. Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the In 1860, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became also the first King of a united Italy, after conquering the rest of the peninsula. Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting Victor Emmanuel II King of Italy ( Vittorio Emanuele II; March 14, 1820 – January 9, 1878) was the King of The following is a list of monarchs of Kingdom of Sardinia. Early medieval rulers Goddas, 533&ndash534 Vandal governor Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian

Geography

Sardinia is separated from Corsica by the Strait of Bonifacio. Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily The Strait of Bonifacio ( Bonifaccio is an older spelling from circa 1861) is the Strait between Corsica and Sardinia, named after

Sardinia is a generally mountainous island with a few coastal plains. The island's mountains are divided into three ranges; the highest peaks are in the middle section of the island. Gennargentu, at 6,016 feet (1,834 m), is the highest point in Sardinia. Sardinia has few major rivers; the largest river on the island is the Tirso, which has a length of 94 miles (151 km) and flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The island has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and very mild winters. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide The climate in the mountains tends to be wetter and cooler than the lower coastal plains; and winter snowfalls are not uncommon in the higher peaks. Sardinia also has more mountains than flat, low land and forests.

Until 2006, Sardinia had been divided into four provinces:

• Cagliari,
• Nuoro,
• Oristano, and
• Sassari. Cagliari ( Provincia di Cagliari; Sardinian: Provìntzia de Casteddu) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Nuoro ( Provincia di Nuoro; Sardinian: Provìntzia de Nùgoro) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy Oristano (Provincia di Oristano Provìntzia de Aristanis is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. Sassari (Provincia di Sassari Provìntzia de Tàtari Prubìnzia di Sàssari is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy.

Now Sardinia is divided into eight provinces, following the creation of four more provinces just recently by the Sardinian regional government, becoming operative with the provinces' elections for the Presidents and the Councils held in 2006. The four additional provinces are as follows:

• Carbonia-Iglesias,
• Medio Campidano,
• Ogliastra, and
• Olbia-Tempio. Carbonia-Iglesias (Provincia di Carbonia-Iglesias Provìntzia de Carbònia-Igrèsias is a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy which includes the Medio Campidano (Provincia del Medio Campidano Provìntzia de su Campidanu de Mesu is a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy. Ogliastra (Provincia dell'Ogliastra Provìntzia de s'Ogiastra is a province in eastern Sardinia, Italy. Olbia-Tempio (Provincia di Olbia-Tempio Provìntzia de Terranòa-Tèmpiu is the name of a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy.

Culture

Sardinia is one of two Italian regions whose inhabitants have been recognized as a "popolo" (i. e. a distinct people) by a local Statute (which is adopted with a Constitutional Law). The other region is Veneto (but this is not a Constitutional Law). Veneto or Venetia ( Vèneto) is one of the 20 regions of Italy.

Music

Sardinia is one of the world's most interesting musical destinations. It is home to one of the oldest forms of Vocal Polyphony, generally known as Canto a Tenores; several big names of music have found it irresistible, including Frank Zappa, Ornette Coleman, and Peter Gabriel. Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21 1940 – December 4 1993 was an American Composer, Electric guitarist Record producer and Film director Ornette Coleman (born March 9, 1930) is an American saxophonist Violinist Trumpeter and Composer. Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950 in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English Musician and Songwriter. The latter travelled to the town of Bitti in the central mountain region, and recorded the now world-famous Tenores di Bitti CD on his Realworld label. The guttural sounds produced in this form make a truly remarkable sound, similar to Tuvan (Mongolia) throat singing. Another polyphonic style of singing, more like the Corsican Paghjella and liturgic in nature, is also found in Sardinia and is known as Cantu a Cuncordu.

Another unique instrument is the launeddas. The launeddas (also called triple Clarinet or triplepipe) is a typical Sardinian Woodwind instrument, consisting of three See also Music of Sardinia. Sardinia is probably the most culturally distinct of all the regions in Italy and musically is best-known for the Tenores Polyphonic chant sacred songs Three reed-canes (2 of them glued together with beeswax) producing distinctive harmonies, which have their roots many thousands of years ago, as demonstrated by the bronzette from Ittiri, of a man playing the 3 reed canes, dated to 2000 BC. Ittiri is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Sassari in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 160 km northwest of

Beyond this, the tradition of Cantos a Chiterra (guitar songs) has its origins in town squares, when artists would compete against one another. It lives on in new forms. Sardinian culture is alive and well, and young people are actively involved in their own music and dancing.

However, the new generation of Sardinian artists are a force to be reckoned with. Sardinia has produced some of the best jazz musicians in Europe (see Paolo Fresu). Paolo Fresu (born in Berchidda, Sardinia, on February 10 1961) is a Trumpet and Flugelhorn Jazz player as well Of these, singer Elena Ledda stands out as the precursor and most widely acknowledged performer of the renewed tradition. Elena Ledda ( Selargius, 1959) is a Sardinian singer Born near Cagliari, she pursued conservatory studies in oboe and voice In 2004, legendary BBC presenter Andy Kershaw (presented Live Aid in 1985), travelled to the island with Sardinian music specialist Pablo Farba, and interviewed many artists. Andy Kershaw (born November 9 1959 in Rochdale, Lancashire) is a British broadcaster Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia His programme can be heard on BBC Radio 3

Language

Main article: Sardinian language

The most spoken language in Sardinia is, undoubtedly, Italian, but Sardinian is widely spoken too. Sardinian ( Sardu, Saldu) is after Italian the main language spoken in the island of Sardinia, Italy, remarkable for being the most conservative Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Sardinian ( Sardu, Saldu) is after Italian the main language spoken in the island of Sardinia, Italy, remarkable for being the most conservative Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Sardinian ( Sardu, Saldu) is after Italian the main language spoken in the island of Sardinia, Italy, remarkable for being the most conservative Sardinian is a Romance language of Latin origin, but with an obscure Pre-Roman element, including Phoenician, Etruscan, and Near Eastern languages. Sardinian ( Sardu, Saldu) is after Italian the main language spoken in the island of Sardinia, Italy, remarkable for being the most conservative The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In Contact linguistics, a substratum ( lat sub: under + stratum: layer → lower layer) is a Language Phoenician was a language originally spoken in the coastal region then called Pūt in Ancient Egyptian Canaan in Phoenician, Hebrew, and The Etruscan Language was spoken and written by the Etruscan civilization in the ancient region of Etruria (modern Tuscany plus western While it has been significantly supplanted by Italian for official purposes, Sardinian is still widely spoken in most rural parts and, stemming from a long history of oral tradition, is used culturally for folk songs and poetry. As a literary language, it is gaining clout, despite heated debate about the lack of standard orthography and controversial proposed solutions to this problem. Recently, the regional administration has approved the use of Limba Sarda Comuna [1] in official documents.

In the city of Alghero in the north, a dialect of Catalan is spoken (the name of the city in Catalan is L'Alguer) as the island was an Aragonese colony in the past. Grazia Deledda ( September 27, 1871 — August 15, 1936) was an Italian Writer whose works won her a Nobel Prize The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alghero ( l'Alguer in Catalan and S'Alighèra in Sardinian) is a town of about 42000 inhabitants (down from 54300 inhabitants since early Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon. However, the two most widely spoken forms of the Sardinian languages are Campidanese, from the flatlands (Campidano) that cover most of the south (from Cagliari to Oristano), and Logudorese (Logudoro), from the central region, extending almost to Sassari. Sardo Campidanese is a Diasystem of the Sardinian language primarily spoken in the Province of Cagliari. Campidano is a plain located in the south-western area of Sardinia, Italy, covering approximately 100 Kilometres between Cagliari and Oristano Sardu logudorese, or Logudorese, is a standardised Dialect of Sardinian, often considered the most conservative of all Romance languages. The Giudicato of Logudoro (also known as the Giudicato of Torres after Porto Torres) is a historical state which covered the northwest portion Sassari (in Italian and Sassarese, Tàthari in Sardinian) is a town in the

Sport

Cagliari is also home to the Cagliari Calcio football club, that was founded in the year 1900 and plays in the Serie A, the Italian top division. Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar Serie A (officially known as the Lega Calcio Serie A TIM for Sponsorship reasons is a professional league competition for football clubs located Home matches are played at the "Stadio Sant' Elia", named after the area where it is located, with a capacity of 23,486. It was built in the year 1970, and refurbished before the Italia '90 football World Championships. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Sardinia also boasts a fine darting tradition, with many believing that the popular game in fact originated somewhere in the Sassari region of the country towards the end of the 15th century. Sassari (in Italian and Sassarese, Tàthari in Sardinian) is a town in the In those days, the darts themselves were carved from Beech (Fagus) wood and the flights were feathers drawn from the indigenous Pollo Sultano, a bird famed for its spectacular violet-blue plumage. For the babyfood see Beech-Nut. Beech ( Fagus) is a genus of ten Species of Deciduous Trees in the The early 21st century has seen one darter in particular proudly continuing his nation's rich sporting heritage. Brett "The Sardinian" Welch, at 21-years-old, presents the island's greatest hope of one day becoming a world champion. With a current average of 101. 4, and weighing in at 280 pounds, he is confident of qualify for next year's BDO World Professional Darts Championship at the Lakeside.

Cagliari hosted in 2002 and 2003 a Formula 3000 race on a 2. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 414-km street circuit around Sant'Elia stadium. A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting In 2003, also Renault F1's Jarno Trulli and former Ferrari's Jean Alesi did a spectacular exhibition. This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation. Jarno Trulli (born July 13[[ 974]] age) is an Italian Formula One Auto racing driver currently driving for the Toyota team Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy Jean Alesi (born Giovanni Alesi June 11, 1964) is a French racing driver of Italian origins At the Grand Prix took part current BMW-F1 driver, Robert Kubica in a F. 3 car, 'works' BMW WTCC Augusto Farfus, GP2's Fairuz Fauzy and Vitaly Petrov. For the article about the Asian version of the GP2 series see GP2 Asia Series. Vitaly Aleksandrovich Petrov ( Russian: Виталий Александрович Петров, born September 8, 1984 in Vyborg) is Actually, Olbia hosts since 2004 the Rally d'Italia Sardegna, a rally competition in the FIA World Rally Championship schedule. Olbia ( Sardinian: Terranoa, Gallurese: Tarranoa) is a town of approximately 51000 inhabitants in northeastern "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Rally d'Italia Sardegna is a rally competition in the World Rally Championship schedule History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship The rally is held on narrow, twisty, sandy and bumpy mountain roads around the glamorous town of Porto Cervo. Porto Cervo (often known as Porto Nuovo) is an Italian seaside resort in northern Sardinia.

Porto Pollo north of Palau, is a bay often used by windsurfers and kitesurfers. The nuraghe (IPA) (plural in Italian nuraghi, while in Sardinian nuraghes) is the main type of Megalithic Edifice found in Sardinia Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail Kitesurfing, kiteboarding, uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small Surfboard or a kiteboard (which is like a Wakeboard) The bay is divided by a thin tongue of land that separates it in an area for advanced and beginning/intermediate windsurfers. There is also a restricted area for kitesurfers. Many Italian freestyle surfers come to Porto Pollo for training, and 2007 saw the finale of the freestyle pro kids Europe 2007 contest.

Because of a venturi-effect between Sardinia and Corsica, western wind accelerates between the islands and creates the wind that makes Porto Pollo popular amongst windsurfing enthusiasts. Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily In 2005, Aglientu, hosted the Kitesurf World Cup in the Vignola's Beach. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Aglientu is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Olbia-Tempio in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 210 km north Vignola is a city and a Comune in the Province of Modena ( Emilia-Romagna) Italy.

World Heritage Sites

The Nuraghe, the main archaeological megalithic monument of Sardinia, are scattered throughout the island. Su Nuraxi di Barumini is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nuraghe (IPA) (plural in Italian nuraghi, while in Sardinian nuraghes) is the main type of Megalithic Edifice found in Sardinia ^[2]

Economy

The Sardinian economy is today focused on tourism, mining, commerce, services and information technology; an increasing income is coming from its famous wines and gastronomy. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice The island contains numerous extraordinary tourist areas, Alghero, North West, with Capo Caccia astonishing cliffs and the famous Neptun Cave, and including the Costa Smeralda and Gennargentu. Alghero ( l'Alguer in Catalan and S'Alighèra in Sardinian) is a town of about 42000 inhabitants (down from 54300 inhabitants since early The Costa Smeralda (English “Emerald Coast” is a Coastal area in northern Sardinia, 55 km long and covering more than 30 km² with enchanting Beaches Gennargentu is a mountain range in the province of Nuoro in Sardinia / Italy. The island is particularly famous for its beaches, but is also rich in other interesting places, such as some charming sea towns and archaeological ruins. See also: Tourist destinations of Sardinia. This is a list of the most famous tourist destinations of Sardinia. Saipem a contractor in the oil and gas industry and a subsidiary of Eni S. Saipem ( is an Italian oil and gas industry contractor It is a subsidiary of Italian energy company Eni, which owns approximately 43% of Saipem's shares Eni SpA () is an Italian multinational oil and gas company with a presence in 70 countries currently Italy's largest industrial company with p. A, operates a shipyard on Sardinia. Their main activity is the fabrication of offshore oil rigs. Several gold and silver mines operate on the island. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen

Transport

Trains in Sardinia connect the whole island but are rather slow. Some run on narrow gauge track. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways Many tourists catch the trenino verde which runs through the wildest parts of the island. It is slow but it allows the traveller to have scenic views impossible to see from the main road. The train connects Cagliari to Arbatax in the south and Sassari to Palau in the north. It is highly recommended to make the trip from Macomer to Bosa Marina, where the train winds its way through the typical Sardinian landscape to reach the sea near the coastal town of Bosa situated in the west of the island.

Demographics

All Sardinia's major urban centers are located near the coasts, while the inland island is almost unpopulated.

Towns of Sardinia with a population of 50,000 or more:

Comune	Population (2008 est. )
Cagliari	158,221
Sassari	128,850
Quartu Sant'Elena	70,959
Olbia	51,403

Genetics

The original Nuraghe inhabitants of Sardinia, who are now concentrated in the interior of the island due to pressure from colonists, are a genetic anomaly in the region. Sassari (in Italian and Sassarese, Tàthari in Sardinian) is a town in the Quartu Sant'Elena (Cuartu Santa Alèni is a city in the Province of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. Olbia ( Sardinian: Terranoa, Gallurese: Tarranoa) is a town of approximately 51000 inhabitants in northeastern The nuraghe (IPA) (plural in Italian nuraghi, while in Sardinian nuraghes) is the main type of Megalithic Edifice found in Sardinia They belong to Y-chromosome haplogroup I, which otherwise has high frequency only in Scandinavia and the Croatia-Bosnia area. In Human genetics, Haplogroup I is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup, a subgroup of haplogroup IJ, itself a derivative of Haplogroup F. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan

Furthermore, the I haplogroup of the indigenous Sardinians is of the I1b1b subtype, which is unique to the island. The I1b1b haplogroup also has a low distribution in and around the Pyrenees, indicating some migration of Sardinians to or from that area. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés The Sardinian subtype is more closely related to the Croatian-Bosnian subtype than to the Scandinavian subtype. This is page about Bosnians (as citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Sardinia also has a relatively high distribution of Y-chromosome haplogroup G, stemming from people that migrated to Sardinia from Anatolia. In Human genetics, Haplogroup G (M201 is a Y-chromosome Haplogroup. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The Y-chromosome haplogroup G also has a relatively high concentration in and around the Pyrenees, again indicating migration of Sardinians to or from that area. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés

Environment

Sardinia is a precious natural resource, containing thousands of rare or uncommon animal and autochthonous plants and animals, such as the Mediterranean Monk Seal and the boar. The Mediterranean Monk Seal ( Monachus monachus) is believed to be the world's rarest Pinniped and one of the most endangered Mammals of the world The boar or wild boar ( Sus scrofa) is an Omnivorous, gregarious Mammal of the biological family Suidae. Found only in Sardinia, Sicily, and MaghrebIt, the Sardinian skink (genus Chalcides ocellatus) known more commonly as Tiligugu, can reach 30 cm (12 in) in length, of which almost half is made up by the tail. Skinks are the most diverse group of Lizards They make the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other Sardinia lacks many common species however, like the viper and the marmot, which are found everywhere else on the continent. Common names: pitless vipers true vipers Old World vipers true adders Marmots are members of the Genus Marmota, in the Rodent family Sciuridae (squirrels Sardinia has four endemic subspecies of birds which are found nowhere else in the world: its Great Spotted Woodpecker (ssp harterti), Great Tit (ssp ecki), Chaffinch (ssp sarda) and Eurasian Jay (ssp ichnusae). The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of Near-passerine Birds. The Great Tit, Parus major, is a Passerine Bird in the tit family Paridae The Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs, is a small Passerine Bird in the Finch family Fringillidae also called a spink. The jays are several Species of medium-sized usually colorful and noisy Passerine Birds in the Crow family Corvidae It also shares a further 10 endemic subspecies of bird with Corsica. The island's environment is improving due to strict environment laws.

See also

• Sardinian language: Sardu logudoresu, Sardu campidanesu, Gallurese, Sassarese
• History of Sardinia
• Tourist destinations of Sardinia
• List of Sardinians
• List of rulers of Sardinia
• Sardinian archaeological and artistic sites
• Tavolara Island, an island off Olbia, Sardinia, which is a self-proclaimed micronation

External links

• Official regional website in Italian
• Lighthouses of Sardinia

Line notes

References

• Stephen L. Dyson and Robert J. Rowland, Jr. Archaeology and History in Sardinia from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. Shepherds, Sailors, and Conquerors (Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 2008), Pp. viii, 240.
• C. Michael Hogan, Jan. 23, 2008, Cydonia, The Modern Antiquarian, [2]
• UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription data for Su Nuraxi di Barumini (2008) [3]

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