Sardinia
Sardinia is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy, France and Spain, south of Corsica.
It is called "Sardigna" or "Sardinna" in Sardinian language, "Sardegna" in italian, and was called "Ichnusa" by Phoenicians and "Sandalyon" by Greeks because of its shape, recalling a footprint.
It is an Autonomous Region of Italy. The regional capital is Cagliari/Casteddu (about 220,000 inhabitants). The Region is divided into four provinces (Cagliari, Sassari, Nuoro and Oristano), but another four have been recently created in the latest 2001 (Olbia-Tempio, Ogliastra, Sulcis-Iglesiente and Medio Campidano) and will be working possibily during this decade.
Important towns:
- Sassari/Tathari (about 120,000 inhabitants),
- Nuoro/Nugoro,
- Oristano/Aristanis,
- Olbia/Terranoa,
- Tempio Pausania/Tempiu,
- Alghero/L'Alguer,
- Ozieri/Othieri,
- Iglesias/Igresias,
- Carbonia/Crabonia,
- Quartu Sant’Elena/Quartu Santa Aleni,
- Siniscola,
- Macomer,
- Gavoi/Fonni.
Plenty of extraordinary tourist areas. Costa Smeralda, Gennargentu among all.
During 18th century Sardinia was an independent kingdom. At the time of Italian reunification in 1860, the King of Sardinia became King of Italy. See /History
The language of Sardinia is Sardinian, a Romance language with obscure origins in phoenician, etruscan and oriental roots. It has been significantly supplanted by Italian for official purposes, and it is completely unknown by some youth groups, specially in lower census of Cagliari, while it's still the main national language (Sardinians identify themselves as a People and as a Nation) in facts.
Currency is now Euro (being part of Italy), but Sardinians will still refer to "su Francu" or "su Pidzu": 1 Francu = 1,000 Old Italian Liras.
In the age from Neolithic to roman, the Nuragic civilisation took place in the island. Still today, more than 7,000 "Nuraghe" survive.