Pedra de Lume
Pedra de Lume is a village in the northeastern part of the island of Sal, Cape Verde. The village is situated on the east coast, about 5 km east of the island capital Espargos. It has a small port and a lighthouse, Farol de Pedra de Lume.
Salt ponds
Pedra de Lume has been famous for its salt evaporation ponds (salinas)[1], exploitation of which began in the 18th century. According to geologists, the waters in the lake rise from deep in the earth rather than from lateral infiltration from the ocean.[2] The salinas are situated in the crater of an extinct volcano. Together with the mountain Cagarral, the salinas and the crater form a protected landscape, covering 8.02 km2 (3.10 sq mi).[3][4]
History
Pedra de Lume was founded by Manuel António Martins, who started the exploitation of the salt ponds in 1796.[5] A tunnel to the salt ponds was constructed in 1804, and a port in 1805.[6] Salt production flourished in most of the 19th century, but went into decline after 1887, when Brazil, the main export destination, imposed a ban on imported salt.[5] Salt production was revived by the French company Salins du Cabo Verde, that installed an 1100 m aerial tramway for salt transport in 1921. Current production is small, and mainly intended for beauty products and thalassotherapy.[5]
Notable people
- Ildo Lobo, singer
- Mirri Lobo, singer
See also
References
- ↑ José Joaquim Lopes de Lima, Francisco Maria Bordalo (1844). Ensaios sobre a statistica das possessões portuguezas na Africa occidental e oriental; na Asia occidental; na China, e na Oceania: escriptos de Ordem do Governo de sua Magestade Fidelissima a Senhora D. Maria II por José Joaquim Lopes de Lima ... Imprensa Nacional. p. 182.
- ↑ Ray Almeida. "A History of Ilha do Sal". Archived from the original on 9 February 2017.
- ↑ Resolução nº 36/2016, Estratégia e Plano Nacional de Negócios das Áreas Protegidas
- ↑ Paisagens Protegidas, Áreas protegidas Cabo Verde
- 1 2 3 Salines de Pedra de Lume, UNESCO World Heritage tentative list (in French)
- ↑ História da Ilha do Sal, Câmara Municipal do Sal