Salt became an important commodity in former times as it could preserve food, allowing

people to store meat and fish for longer periods and become less reliant on seasonal

hunting and gathering. This preservation power led to the rise of civilizations around

areas with salt production, with the first city in Europe being built near a salt mine. Salt's

value also made it a vital trade good, transported by land and sea, and even used as a

form of currency in some places. Furthermore, salt played a role in warfare, with victors

sometimes using it to symbolically destroy the land of their enemies, or like the British in

the American Revolution, using its scarcity to disrupt their enemies' food supplies. Salt

taxes were another consequence of its importance, leading to unrest in some countries

like France.

In modern times, salt remains a necessity for our diet, as our bodies cannot produce it.

However, health professionals recommend limiting our intake. While salt is still present

in some beauty products and used as a bath additive, its most significant industrial use

is in chlorine production, a key component in many everyday products. It's also a natural

and eco-friendly cleaning agent for various surfaces and plays a crucial role in de-icing

roads during winter, though there's debate about its impact on vehicles. Finally, salt

remains a significant source of income for many countries with large salt mines. Both

the salt types and its uses