Sal, Cape Verde

Sal is an island in Cape Verde. It belongs to the northern group of islands, called Barlavento, and comprises a single administrative division, the Sal municipality. The island is home to Amílcar Cabral International Airport, the main airport of Cape Verde.HistoryThe island was discovered on December 3, 1460 and named Llana until salt deposits were found at the end of the 18th century in Pedra de Lume. In the early years, slaves grazed parts of the island, in the 17th century, free settlers took salt. Sal is the geologically oldest island in Cape Verde, formed 50 million years ago during the eruption of a volcano which is now inactive.Salt activity did not begin until 1800. Sal at the time was the least populated island in Cape Verde, and once had around the same population as Santa Luzia. Santa Maria was founded on the south of the island in 1835 by Manuel António Martins who became governor and had the town become the island's capital. During this time the salt industry thrived, with 30,000 tons of salt being exported in the early years. Most of the salt was exported to Brazil until its nationalization in 1887, Portuguese and French salt investors resumed salt production until 1984. Three lighthouses were constructed near the island's hazardous points in the 1880s.In 1939 Italy started constructing an airport to receive flights from Europe and South America. Construction was halted and ceased around World War II. The Portuguese bought the airport from the Italians and finished it in 1949. Planes from Italy would stop to breifly refuel before continuing their flights to various South American cities. Northeast of the airport, workers from São Nicolau Island to the west would settle a village and was named Preguiça, where the first settlers originated and the youngest urban center in Cape Verde, Palmeira was later founded and became the island's other port, not long after it became Espargos due to the asparagus plants founded there and became the main island capital as well as a commercial center, a part of the population growth was and still is attributed to arrivals from São Nicolau.