Arbus, Sardinia

Arbus ( , Sardinian: [ˈaɾbuzu], Italian: [ˈarbus]) is a town and comune (municipality) in the Province of Medio Campidano in the region of Sardinia in Italy. With a population of 5,532 in an area of 269.12 square kilometres (103.91 sq mi), Arbus is the 52nd-largest municipality in Sardinia by population and the 3rd-largest by area. Located in the southwest coast of the island, Arbus is known for several archeological and non-operational industrial sites, such as the mines of Montevecchio, as well as for its coastline, the Costa Verde, whose main beach, Piscinas, includes one of the biggest sand dune systems in Europe. Arbus territory also includes several hamlets, among which Ingurtosu and Montevecchio are particularly important since they still show tangible signs of the intensive mineral extraction that took place during the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, in nowadays non-operational extraction sites that are now part of the parco geominerario storico ed ambientale della Sardegna (i.e. Sardinian Environmental and Historical Geomineral Park, also known as Geological, Mining Park of Sardinia). The town is well renowned also for its black sheep, that is bred virtually only there, whose milk, and other products derived from them, are listed among the Prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali (P.A.T.) (Traditional Agricultural Products), and for the Arburesa kind of knife, a typical knife handcrafted in town.