HALITE
One of the particularly interesting and edible minerals is halite, also known as rock salt. Halite is used in every household when preparing food, and aside from sweets, it's hard to imagine any dish without the addition of kitchen salt. Halite is exceptionally important because the sodium ions it contains are necessary for the proper functioning of many physiological processes. Among the most important functions of sodium (Na+) is the maintenance of the cell membrane potential, which is crucial for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and heart function. The cell membrane potential is maintained by ion pumps, the most important being the sodium-potassium pump. Therefore, a lack of salt in the body can cause various diseases and, in extreme situations, can even be fatal.
Halite is widely distributed on Earth and appears as dissolved substance in seas and oceans, deposited as solid underground masses, or precipitated at the bottom of lakes in dry (arid) areas. One of the significant ways of industrial salt production is through saltworks built in coastal regions. In Croatia, there are several saltworks, with the most famous being those in Nin, Ston, and Pag, where substantial quantities of this important mineral are obtained through natural evaporation of seawater during the summer. Salt production in Croatia has a millennia-old tradition, as evidenced by the will of Agape, the daughter of the Zadar tribune Dabar, which mentions the production of salt on the island of Pag, dating back to the 10th century. Throughout history, fierce battles and political upheavals occurred over salt, with rulers changing from the Venetian Republic to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the 18th century, salt even served as a currency. Roman soldiers were paid in Nin salt, and the exchange rate was one ounce of gold for one ounce of salt. It is no surprise, therefore, that the word "salary" is likely derived from the word "salt" (Roman salarium).
Salt is also obtained through mining. In neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, salt is extracted from the Soli mine in Tuzla. Historians believe that the name Bosnia is related to the Illyrian word boss, meaning salt, and the town of Tuzla was named after the Turkish word for salt, reminding us that there is a salt lake called Tuz in Turkey. When thinking of salt, many people may also think of Salzburg, Austria, a city that owes its wealth to the Hallein salt mine, or Wieliczka, a town near Krakow, Poland, known for its underground salt chambers.
Halite is widely distributed on Earth and appears as dissolved substance in seas and oceans, deposited as solid underground masses, or precipitated at the bottom of lakes in dry (arid) areas. One of the significant ways of industrial salt production is through saltworks built in coastal regions. In Croatia, there are several saltworks, with the most famous being those in Nin, Ston, and Pag, where substantial quantities of this important mineral are obtained through natural evaporation of seawater during the summer. Salt production in Croatia has a millennia-old tradition, as evidenced by the will of Agape, the daughter of the Zadar tribune Dabar, which mentions the production of salt on the island of Pag, dating back to the 10th century. Throughout history, fierce battles and political upheavals occurred over salt, with rulers changing from the Venetian Republic to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the 18th century, salt even served as a currency. Roman soldiers were paid in Nin salt, and the exchange rate was one ounce of gold for one ounce of salt. It is no surprise, therefore, that the word "salary" is likely derived from the word "salt" (Roman salarium).
Salt is also obtained through mining. In neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, salt is extracted from the Soli mine in Tuzla. Historians believe that the name Bosnia is related to the Illyrian word boss, meaning salt, and the town of Tuzla was named after the Turkish word for salt, reminding us that there is a salt lake called Tuz in Turkey. When thinking of salt, many people may also think of Salzburg, Austria, a city that owes its wealth to the Hallein salt mine, or Wieliczka, a town near Krakow, Poland, known for its underground salt chambers.
