To the south it bordered the province of Cagliari and it borders the province of Nuoro in the north. Ogliastra was founded in 2001 when the number of Sardinian provinces was doubled. It contained the river Flumendosa and the lake of Basso Flumendosa, and it also contained large massif Gennargentu. Ogliastra took its name from the olive trees in the province, known as the olivastri. It was situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea.