Olbia

Olbia
—  Comune  —
Comune di Olbia
Olbia is located in Italy
Olbia
Location of Olbia in Italy
Coordinates:
Country Italy
Region Sardinia
Province Olbia-Tempio (OT)
Frazioni Berchiddeddu, Murta Maria, Pittulongu, Rudalza-Porto Rotondo, San Pantaleo
Government
 - Mayor Giovanni Enrico Giovannelli ([[List of political parties in Italy|Forza Italia]])
Area
 - Total 376.10 km2 (145.2 sq mi)
Population (May 25, 2006)
 - Total 51,045
 - Density 135.7/km2 (351.5/sq mi)
Demonym Olbiesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 07026
Dialing code 0789
Patron saint San Simplicio
Saint day May 15
Website Official website

Olbia listen (IPA: [ˈɔlbja] or locally [ˈolbja]; Sardinian name: Terranoa, Gallurese: Tarranoa), is a town and comune of approximately 54,000 (2009) inhabitants in northeastern Sardinia (Italy), in the Gallura sub-region. Called Olbia in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle Ages (Giudicati period) and Terranova Pausania before the 1940s, Olbia was again the official name of the town after the period of Fascism.

Contents

Geography

Location of Olbia in northern Sardinia.
A beach near Olbia.

It is the economic centre of this part of the island (commercial centres, food industry) and is very close to the famous Costa Smeralda tourist area. It is an administrative capital (together with Tempio Pausania) of the province of Olbia-Tempio, operative since 2005.

History

Olbia (the name is of Greek origin) is very ancient and was possibly founded by the Greeks, according to a local legend. It contains ruins from Phoenician and Carthaginian settlement to the Roman Era, when it was an important port, and the Middle Ages, when it was the capital of the Giudicato of Gallura, one of the four independent states of Sardinia.

Main sights

Transportation

Olbia is the main connection between Sardinia and the Italian peninsula, with an airport (Olbia - Costa Smeralda), a passenger port (Olbia-Isola Bianca), and a railway to Porto Torres and Cagliari. There is an expressway to Nuoro and Cagliari (SS131) and national roads to Sassari (SS199-E840), Tempio Pausania (SS127), and Palau (SS125).

External links