II.

Physical Geography

Sardinia is located immediately south of Corsica, being separated from it by the Strait of Bonifacio. The second-largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia is about 267 km (166 mi) long and about 120 km (75 mi) wide. The surface is generally mountainous, the highest point being Marmora Peak, in the Monti del Gennargentu, which rises to a height of 1,834 m (6,017 ft).

Three national parks are located within the Sardinia Region. The National Park of La Maddelena Archipelago (established in 1996) incorporates the Maddalena island group and the surrounding coastal waters. The protected area occupies 5,134 hectares (12,686 acres) of land and 15,046 hectares (37,179 acres) of surrounding sea waters. Asinara National Park, established 1997, is coterminous with Asinara Island, off Sardinia’s north-western coast. The region’s second-largest island, Asinara has an area of 52 sq km (20 sq mi) and includes a large holm oak forest, as well as coastal dunes and expanses of Mediterranean scrubland. The National Park of the Orosei Gulf and Gennargentu—a vast area of pastures, woodland, and wilderness—was established on Sardinia’s eastern coast in 1998.