Sal (Cape Verde)

See also: Sal

Sal (which means in Portuguese " salt " , named thus because of the mines of Pedra de Lume) is the name of an island of the Archipel of the Cape Verde as well as Municipalité of the same name. The island belongs to the group of the islands of the Northern of the archipelago, the islands of '' Barlavento ''.

History

Sal was discovered on December 3rd 1460 and named Llana but it is possible that it was reached before this date by Arab navigators . As the remainder of the Cape Verde it was a Portuguese colony. It owes its current name with discovered salt with Pedra de Lume in 1833, which was exploited until the medium of the Années 1980, which made come from the world on the island then little populated. The International airport Amílcar Cabral, built in 1939 as airport of stopover towards the South America caused an internal migration towards Sal, mainly of São Nicolau. Since a score of years the Tourisme develops also mainly with Santa Maria in the south of the island.

Geography

Sal is the oldest island of the Cape Verde, its formation having started 50 million years ago by the means of a Volcan now extinct. The island has a surface of 216 km ² and is relatively punt and sandy (its culminating point, the Monte Vermelho makes only 406 m of altitude).

Climate

Sal has a hot and dry climate, the temperatures varying between 20°C and 25°C during all the year and has 350 days of sunning per annum. The winds often come from the North-West and of the sandstorms come from the the Sahara can occur there in January and February.

Economy

The island lived before of the export of salt and the fishing but from now on is directed towards the Tourisme thanks to its climate and its beautiful sand beaches white (hotel complexes of Santa Maria).

Administration

Sal forms a municipality of the Cape Verde and counts only a Paroisse, Nossa Senhora das Dores.

Cities

  • Espargos is the main city of the island with 5.758 inhabitants (8 000 with Hortelão and Preguiça). It is located between Pedra de Lume and Palmeira.

  • Murdeira is a complex Touristique under development full with much of second home.
  • Palmeira is a small village of fishermen on the west coast but which is increasing.
  • Pedra de Lume, on the east coast, is the oldest establishment of Sal and was during years the center of the exploitation of the salt. Today there remains only one little populated village.
  • Santa Maria is an old village the saline ones which is today one of the most important tourist points of the country. Approximately 1.400 people live there.
  • Terra Boa is one of the only places of the island where one practices the Agriculture on broad surfaces, other places being well too dry.

Originating personalities

  • Manual di Candinho, a singer course-verdien.

  • Yass-Yass, also singer course-verdien.

Sources

  • in the version in English language of Wikipédia

  • in the version in Portuguese language of Wikipédia

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