Sal (Portuguese for “salt” — from the mines at Pedra de Lume) is an island in Cape Verde. It belongs to the northern group of islands, called Barlavento. The island is composed by a single administrative division, the Sal municipality. The island is home to Amílcar Cabral International Airport, the main airport of Cape Verde.
The island is 30 km long by 12 km wide. It is one of the three sandy eastern islands (Sal, Boa Vista and Maio) of the archipelago of Cape Verde, with miles of incredible white sandy beaches.
Sal at a glance
Sal Island (local: Ilha do Sal)
Country: Cape Verde (Cabo Verde)
Coordinates: 16°43′N 22°56′W
Highest Point: Monte Vermelho (406 m (1,332 ft))
Length: 30 km (19 mi), north to south
Width: 12 km (7 mi), east to west
Area: 216 km² (83 sq mi)
IATA airport code SID
Pedra de Lume on the eastern coast, is the most ancient, and the home of the first salt workers. Today it is only a small village with very few inhabitants.
Palmeira is a fishing village, built around a port situated on the opposite coast of the island. It is also a small village but is growing.
Espargos is the main urban centre and is situated between Pedra de Lume and Palmeira. It was formed around the international airport named after Amilcar Cabral (IATA airport code SID) located in the heart of the island.
Terra Boa is the only place on the island where agriculture can be found on a large scale, as the island is very dry, mainly because it has no mountains to induce rainfall.
Murdeira is a tourist resort, which is growing in population.
Santa Maria which was a former salt working village, is now the tourism centre of the island.
Other inhabited settlements are:
* Feijoal, 1 km west of Pedra de Lume.
* Fontona, south of Palmeira.
* Reguinho Fiúra, a remote village near a lighthouse and overlooking Ponta Norte, the island’s northernmost point.
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