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Why are sheep and goats widely raised in Sardinia?
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Sardinia
Sardinia, Italy.
Sheep and goats are widely raised in Sardinia primarily because natural pastures cover more than half of the island's total area. This extensive availability of grazing land supports livestock farming as a key branch of the regional economy.1
The island's landscape is characterized by mountainous terrain and a Mediterranean climate, with much of the uncultivated countryside covered by macchia—a mix of grasslands and scrub vegetation. While other portions of the island are devoted to crops such as wheat, barley, grapes, and olives, the prevalence of natural pasture makes the region well-suited for sheep and goat husbandry.21