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The area encompassing the three distinct regions of Arburese-Guspinese, Iglesiente, and Sulcis is located in the southwestern part of Sardinia and covers an area of 2,455 km², which is 65% of the total area within the Sardinia Geomineral Park.
It is therefore the largest part of the territory within the Park and, at the same time, the most representative in terms of the spread, variety, and importance of the mining activities that have taken place over the last millennia.
From a mining perspective, the area, due to the size of the metalliferous deposits of lead, zinc, copper, silver, tin, manganese, and iron that have been exploited since ancient times, has become one of the most important metalliferous districts in Western Europe. In addition to metalliferous mines, particular interest has also been given to the extraction of barite, bentonite clay, and especially coal.
The three areas form a well-defined reality in the island's landscape, characterized by an extensive coastal stretch rich in interesting and varied landscape-environmental aspects, from which emerge, at a short distance, some mountain ranges that, with modest altitude, rise above a predominantly hilly morphology, interrupted in the central and southern areas by the large flat stretches of Cixerri and Basso Sulcis.
The area was defined by early geologists as "the island within the island," referring primarily to the geological characteristics that encompass the entire series from Lower Paleozoic to Pleistocene, and the natural characteristics and spread of environments with high scientific and cultural interest. The types of values alternate between unique botanical species, caves, and cavities among the most important on the island, as well as a significant heritage of industrial and mining archaeology.
In this geological, mining, scientific, landscape, and historical context, which is unparalleled in the Mediterranean, large engineering works were carried out in the past, remaining as evidence of the high level of technology achieved in this region of Sardinia.