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The island of Sal is dominated by its lowlands, but some volcanic structures stand out on the northern part of the island. It was the last to be settled, in the first half of the 19th century. The principal reason for the population to settle here was to explore its large salt reserve in the natural Salinas of Pedra de Lume and Santa Maria, and this eventually led to the island being called “Sal” (salt).

With a surface of 216 Km², the island became known, at the time of the Portuguese arrival, as the plane island or “Chã”. The impulse to settle it in the 19th century was led by a wealthy landowner – Manuel Martins – who invested a large amount of capital in the construction of equipment to explore the salinas, and brought to the island slaves and cattle for his enterprise.

After the salt cycle waned, the island became dependent on fishing and livestock. The plane topography favored its choice for the installation of an airfield in the first half of the XXth century, mainly as a scheduled stop for flights to South America. Early in the nineteen sixties, thanks to the installation of an airport and above all, the progress in aeronautics, Sal became the principal center for air travel in the archipelago.

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