Região Autónoma dos Açores Azores Autonomous Region
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos" (Portuguese for "Rather die free than in peace subjugated")
Anthem: A Portuguesa (national) Hino dos Açores (local)
Capital		Ponta Delgada1 Angra do Heroísmo2 Horta3
Largest city		Ponta Delgada
Official languages		Portuguese
Ethnic groups		Portuguese
Government		Autonomous region
-	President	Carlos César
Establishment
-	Settled	1439
-	Autonomy	1976
Area
-	Total	2,346 km² (n/a) 911 sq mi
Population
-	2006 estimate	243,018 (n/a)
-	2001 census	241,763
-	Density	104/km² (n/a) 266/sq mi
Currency		Euro (€)4 (EUR)
Time zone		UTC-1
Internet TLD		.pt
Calling code		+351
1	Location of the Presidency of the Regional Government (37°44′N, 25°40′W).
2	Location of the Supreme Court (38°39′N, 27°13′W).
3	Location of the Legislative Assembly (38°32′N, 28°38′W).
4	Prior to 2002: Portuguese escudo

The Azores (Portuguese: Açores pronounced [ɐˈsoɾɨʃ] or [ɐˈsoɾʃ]) is a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km (950 mi) from Lisbon and about 3,900 km (2,400 mi) from the east coast of North America. The two westernmost Azorean islands (Flores and Corvo) actually lie on the North American plate and are only 1,925 km (1,200 mi) from St. John's in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Azores' most significant industries are tourism, cattle raising for milk and meat, and fishing. Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Azores. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (590x710, 99 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Azores ... The Flag of the Azores The flag of the Azores is similar to the flag of Portugal used from 1830-1910, except that the Portuguese coat of arms has been removed and been replaced by the Goshawk (in Portuguese: Açor), the symbol of the Azores. ... The Coat of arms of the Azores is supported by two chained black bulls, above a scroll with the text Antes morrer livres que empaz sujeitos.      Coat of arms of Europe Albania Andorra Armenia2 Austria Azerbaijan4 Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus2 Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia4 Germany Greece Hungary Iceland... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... A Portuguesa (pron. ... The Hino dos Açores (English: ) is the official anthem of the Azores, in Portugal. ... Image File history File links LocationAzores. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... This article is about a city in Sao Miguel Island, Azores. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region A.R. of Azores  - Subregion A.R. of Azores  - District or A.R. A.R. of Azores Mayor José Cardoso  - Party PS Area 239. ... Horta is both a parish and a district in western part of the Azores. ... This article is about a city in Sao Miguel Island, Azores. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... An autonomous region or autonomous district is a subnational region with special powers of self-rule. ... Carlos Manuel Martins do Vale César (Born October 30, 1956 in Ponta Delgada, Azores) current president of the Regional Government of the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. ... Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of organization. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Map of countries by population for the year 2007 This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .pt is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Portugal and is managed by the Fundacao para a Computacao Cientifica Nacional (FCCN). ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Portugal changed to a closed numbering plan in 1999. ... The escudo was the official currency of Portugal prior to the introduction of the euro in 1 January 1999 (euro coins and notes were not introduced until 2002). ... The Mergui Archipelago The Archipelago Sea, situated between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, the largest archipelago in the world by the number of islands. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation). ... North American redirects here. ... There is more than one entry in wikipedia for Flores Island: Flores, an island arc in Indonesia. ... Corvo Island (Portuguese, Ilha do Corvo, lit. ... Nickname: Motto: Avancez (Go forward) Coordinates: , Country Province Established August 5, 1583 by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I Government  - City Mayor Andy Wells  - Governing body St. ... Main articles: History of Canada, Timeline of Canadian history Canada has been inhabited by aboriginal peoples (known in Canada as First Nations) for at least 40,000 years. ... This article is about the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ...

The nine major Azorean Islands and the eight small Formigas extend for more than 600 km (373 mi), and lie in a north west-south east direction. The vast extension of the islands defines an immense exclusive economic zone of 1.1 million km². The westernmost point of this area is 3,380 km (2,100 mi) from the North American continent. All of the islands have volcanic origins, though Santa Maria also has some reef contribution. The mountain of Pico on Pico Island, at 2,351 m (7,713 ft) in altitude, is the highest in all of Portugal. The Azores are actually the tops of some of the tallest mountains on the planet, as measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean. The archipelago forms the Autonomous Region of Azores, one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal. The Formigas (pron. ... Sea areas in international rights Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources. ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... For other uses, see Reef (disambiguation). ... Pico Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Pico, pron. ... Flag of the Azores Autonomous Region. ...

Though it is commonly said that the archipelago is named after the goshawk (Açor in Portuguese), because it was supposed to be a common bird at the time of the discovery, the bird actually never existed on the islands. Some historians indicate the archaic Portuguese word "azules" (the plural of blue) because of the colour of the islands when seen from afar. Most, however, insist that the name is derived from birds, pointing to a local subspecies of the buzzard (Buteo buteo), as the animal the first explorers erroneously identified as goshawks. For other uses, see Goshawk (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Dark green: All-year distribution Light green/blue: Breeding/winter range of Steppe Buzzard. ...

History

Main article: History of the Azores

Sixteenth-century map of the Azores Islands.

The islands were known in the fourteenth century and can be seen incompletely, for example, in the Atlas Catalan. In 1427, one of the captains sailing for Henry the Navigator rediscovered the Azores, possibly Gonçalo Velho, but this is not certain. The colonization of the then unoccupied islands started in 1439 with people mainly from the continental provinces of Algarve and Alentejo. In 1583, Philip II of Spain as king of Portugal, sent his fleet to clear the Azores of a combined multinational force of adventurers, mercenaries, volunteers and soldiers who were attempting to establish the Azores as a staging post for a rival pretender to the Portuguese throne. Following the success of his fleet at the Battle of Ponta Delgada, the captured enemy were hung from yardarms, as they were considered pirates by Philip II (this was added to the "Black Legend" by his enemies). The Azores were the second to last part of the Portuguese empire to resist Philip's reign over Portugal (Macau being the last), Azores was returned to Portuguese control with the end of the Iberian Union, not by the professional military, which were used in the Restoration War in the mainland, but by local people attacking a fortified Castilian garrison (guarnición). The Azores were known in the fourteenth century and can be seen incompletely, for example, in the Atlas Catalan. ... Download high resolution version (2104x1480, 635 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (2104x1480, 635 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Events Lincoln College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is founded. ... The Infante Henrique, Duke of Viseu (Porto, March 4, 1394 – Sagres, November 13, 1460); pron. ... Gonçalo Velho Cabral, was a 15th century Portuguese explorer and settler of the Atlantic, discoverer of the Azores islands. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colonialism. ... Algarve NUTS II region, and the district of Faro in Portugal. ... NUTS II Alentejo region. ... Philip II (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (holding various titles for the individual territories... This article is about pretender as applied to a monarchy. ... For other uses, see Black Legend (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Portuguese Restoration War (Portuguese: guerras da restauração) is the war between Portugal and Spain after the revolt of December 1640. ... Castilian is a noun and adjective that refers to the region and former kingdom of Spain; in particular, it refers to the language of this region, and is therefore considered by many to be a synonym of Spanish, though with different nuances. ...

Pico viewed from Faial.

The 1820 civil war in Portugal had strong repercussions in the Azores. In 1829, in Vila da Praia, the liberals won over the absolutists, making Terceira Island the main headquarters of the new Portuguese regime and also where the Council of Regency (Conselho de Regência) of Mary II of Portugal was established. Download high resolution version (891x668, 64 KB)Autor: Horst Evertz (DE.wikipedia user) from German wikipedia File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (891x668, 64 KB)Autor: Horst Evertz (DE.wikipedia user) from German wikipedia File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Praia da Vitória is a town in the Portugal Autonomous Region of the Azores, (Região Autónoma dos Açores) on the eastern fringe of the island of Terceira Island. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... Absolutism is a political theory which argues that one person, who is often generally a monarch, should hold all power. ... Terceira Island (pron. ... Maria II, Queen of Portugal (April 4, 1819 - November 15, 1853). ...

Beginning in 1868, Portugal issued its stamps overprinted with "AÇORES" for use in the islands. Between 1892 and 1906, it also issued separate stamps for the three administrative districts of the time.

From 1836 to 1976, the archipelago was divided into three districts, quite equivalent (except in area) to those in the Portuguese mainland. The division was arbitrary, and didn't follow the natural island groups, rather reflecting the location of each district capital on the three main cities (neither of each on the western group). This article describes the subdivisions of Portugal. ...

• Angra consisted of Terceira, São Jorge, and Graciosa, with the capital at Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira.
• Horta consisted of Pico, Faial, Flores, and Corvo, with the capital at Horta on Faial.
• Ponta Delgada consisted of São Miguel and Santa Maria, with the capital at Ponta Delgada on São Miguel.

Angra do Heroísmo.

During the Second World War, in 1943, Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar leased bases in the Azores to the British. This represented a change in policy. Previously the Portuguese government only allowed German U-boats and navy ships to refuel there.^[1]. This was a key turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic, allowing the Allies to provide aerial coverage in the middle of the Atlantic. This helped them to hunt U-boats and protect convoys. Location    - Country Portugal    - Region A.R. of Azores  - Subregion A.R. of Azores  - District or A.R. A.R. of Azores Mayor José Cardoso  - Party PS Area 239. ... Horta is both a parish and a district in western part of the Azores. ... This article is about a city in Sao Miguel Island, Azores. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region A.R. of Azores  - Subregion A.R. of Azores  - District or A.R. A.R. of Azores Mayor José Cardoso  - Party PS Area 239. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... António de Oliveira Salazar, GColIH, GCTE, GCSE, pron. ... Combatants Royal Navy Royal Canadian Navy United States Navy (1941–5) Kriegsmarine Regia Marina (1940–3) Commanders Sir Percy Noble Sir Max K. Horton Percy W. Nelles Leonard W. Murray Ernest J. King Erich Raeder Karl Dönitz Casualties 30,248 merchant sailors 3,500 merchant vessels 175 warships 28... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ...

In 1944, American forces constructed a small and short-lived air base on the island of Santa Maria. In 1945, a new base was founded on the island of Terceira and is currently known as Lajes Field. It was founded in an area called Lajes, a broad, flat sea terrace that had been a farm. Lajes Field is a plateau rising out of the sea on the north east corner of the island. This air force base is a joint American and Portuguese venture. Lajes Field continues to support US and Portuguese military operations. During the Cold War, the US Navy P-3 Orion anti-submarine squadrons patrolled the North Atlantic for Soviet submarines and surface spy vessels. Since its inception, Lajes Field has been used for refuelling aircraft bound for Europe, and more recently, the Middle East. The US Army operates a small fleet of military ships - probably Maritime Prepositioning Ships - in the harbour of Praia da Vitória, three kilometres (2 mi) south east of Lajes Field. The airfield also has a small commercial terminal handling scheduled and chartered passenger flights from other islands in the archipelago, Europe, and North America. Lajes Air Base Diagram Lajes Field (or Air Base No. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft of numerous militaries around the world, used primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. ... Praia da Vitória is a town in Portugals Autonomous Region of the Azores, (Região Autónoma dos Açores) on the eastern fringe of the island of [[Terceira]. It is the second largest town on the island, after Angra do Heroísmo. ...

In 1976, the Azores became the Autonomous Region of the Azores (Região Autónoma dos Açores), one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, and the Azorean districts were suppressed. Flag of the Azores Autonomous Region. ...

Politics

Since becoming a Portuguese Autonomous Region, the executive section of the local authority has been located in Ponta Delgada, the legislative in Horta and the judicial in Angra do Heroísmo. The President of the Regional Government is Carlos César. Carlos Manuel Martins do Vale César (Born October 30, 1956 in Ponta Delgada, Azores) current president of the Regional Government of the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. ...

Azorean politics are dominated by the two largest Portuguese political parties—PSD and PS, the latter holding a majority in the Regional Legislative Assembly. The CDS/PP is also represented in the local parliament. Even though the PS dominates the administrative scene, the PSD is usually more popular in city and town council elections. The Social Democratic Party (Portuguese: Partido Social Democrata, pron. ... The Socialist Party (Portuguese: Partido Socialista, pron. ... The Democratic and Social Centre / Peoples Party (Portuguese: Partido do Centro Democrático e Social / Partido Popular, pron. ...

Municipalities

Panoramic view near Sao Mateus, Terceira, June 2004

The Azores are divided into nineteen municipalities (concelhos); each municipality is further divided into parishes (freguesias). The Azores have a total of 156 parishes. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 131 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 327 pixel, file size: 175 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Azores Terceira Island São Mateus... Terceira Island is a Portuguese island in the Azores Archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. ...

The Central Group

• Terceira
  • Angra do Heroísmo and Vila da Praia da Vitória
• Graciosa
  • Santa Cruz da Graciosa
• São Jorge
  • Calheta and Velas
• Pico
  • Lajes do Pico, Madalena and São Roque do Pico
• Faial
  • Horta

The Western Group Terceira Island is a Portuguese island in the Azores Archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region A.R. of Azores  - Subregion A.R. of Azores  - District or A.R. A.R. of Azores Mayor José Cardoso  - Party PS Area 239. ... Praia da Vitória is a town in Portugals Autonomous Region of the Azores, (Região Autónoma dos Açores) on the eastern fringe of the island of [[Terceira]. It is the second largest town on the island, after Angra do Heroísmo. ... There is also a Graciosa in the Canary Islands, see Graciosa, Canary Islands Graciosa Island (pron. ... Santa Cruz da Graciosa is both a municipality and a parish in the Northern part of the Azores. ... There are parishes that have the name São Jorge (Portuguese for Saint George): // in the Azores São Jorge, a island in the central part of the Azores A parish that is also known as Velas In Brazil São Jorge, Brazil São Jorge, São Paulo, a... Calheta (pron. ... Coat of Arms Velas is a municipality in the Northern part of the Azores. ... Pico Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Pico, pron. ... Coat of Arms Lajes do Pico (pron. ... Madalena is both a parish and a district in western part of the Azores. ... São Roque do Pico is both a parish and a district in southern part of the Azores. ... Faial Island (also known in English as Fayal) is a Portuguese island of the Central group (Grupo Central) of the Azores. ... Horta is both a parish and a district in western part of the Azores. ...

• Flores
  • Lajes das Flores and Santa Cruz das Flores
• Corvo
  • Corvo

The Eastern Group Flores Island (pron. ... Lajes das Flores is both a parish and a district in western part of the Azores. ... Santa Cruz das Flores is both a municipality in the Western part of the Azores. ... Corvo Island (Portuguese, Ilha do Corvo, lit. ... Coat of Arms Corvo is both a parish and a municipality in northwestern part of the Azores. ...

• Santa Maria
  • Vila do Porto
• São Miguel
  • Lagoa, Nordeste, Ponta Delgada, Povoação, Ribeira Grande, and Vila Franca do Campo.

Horta Faial.

Santa María or Santa Maria may refer to: The name of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Mary, the mother of Jesus, in various languages such as Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Catalan The name of two well-known ships: Santa María (ship) - the largest of the three ships used... Vila do Porto is the main village on the island of Santa Maria, part of the archipelago of the Azores. ... There are parishes that have the name São Miguel (Portuguese for Saint Michael): // In Europe In the Azores São Miguel Island, an island in the eastern part of the Azores São Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo São Miguel Arcanjo, a... Lagoa (Portuguese for lagoon) is a city on the southwest-central part of São Miguel Island in the Azores It has a population of 14,126 (as of 2001). ... Nordeste (Portuguese for northeast hence the part of the island) is a city on the northeastern part of São Miguel Island in the Azores It has a population of 6,726 (as of 2001). ... This article is about a city in Sao Miguel Island, Azores. ... Povoação (Portuguese for of the fields) is a city on the southern part of São Miguel Island in the Azores It has a population of 6,726 (as of 2001). ... Vila Franca do Campo (pron. ...

Cities

There are fives cities in the Azores: Ponta Delgada and Ribeira Grande on São Miguel Island; Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória on the island of Terceira, and Horta on the island of Faial. Three of these Ponta Delgada, Angra and Horta are considered capital cities in the regional government, homes to the President (Ponta Delgada), the Judiciary (Angra) and the Regional Assembly (Horta). This article is about a city in Sao Miguel Island, Azores. ... There is also Ribeira Grande in Cape Verde, see Ribeira Grande, Cape Verde Ribeira Grande (Portuguese for large river) is a city on the southwest-central part of São Miguel Island in the Azores It has a population of 28,482 (as of 2001). ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region A.R. of Azores  - Subregion A.R. of Azores  - District or A.R. A.R. of Azores Mayor José Cardoso  - Party PS Area 239. ... Praia da Vitória is a town in Portugals Autonomous Region of the Azores, (Região Autónoma dos Açores) on the eastern fringe of the island of [[Terceira]. It is the second largest town on the island, after Angra do Heroísmo. ... Horta is both a parish and a district in western part of the Azores. ... This article is about a city in Sao Miguel Island, Azores. ... Angra may mean: Angra (Azores) or Angra do Heroísmo, a district in the Azores Angra (band), a Brazilian heavy metal band Angra dos Reis, a town in Brazil Angra Nuclear Power Plant in Brazil This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share... Horta is a port town on the island of Faial in the Azores. ...

Geography

The archipelago is spread out in the area of the parallel that passes between through Lisbon (39° 43' / 39° 55' N) and 37° N, giving it a tepid oceanic subtropical climate, with mild annual oscillation. The average annual rainfall increases from east to west and ranges from 700 to 1600 annual millimetres (27.6–63 in) on average, reaching 6,300 millimetres (250 in) in Pico mountain (the highest Portuguese mountain at 2,351 m/7,713 ft). The Azores high is named after the islands. Formigas (the Portuguese word for "ants") islands also called as Dollabarat Reefs, has very nice and rich maritime fauna, being like a swimming pool on the middle of the ocean, on which also grows exotic species as the black coral and swims jamantas, sharks, sea turtles and thousands of other different creatures. NASA satellite photo (North to the top) Eastern São Miguel landscape Sete Cidades twin lakes, with the town of Sete Cidades to the left Mosteiros, a village on the northwestern coast Furnas São Miguel Island (pron. ... Pico Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Pico, pron. ... Terceira Island (pron. ... São Jorge (pron. ... Faial Island (also known in English as Fayal) is a Portuguese island of the Central group (Grupo Central) of the Azores. ... Flores Island (pron. ... The island of Santa Maria (Portuguese for Saint Mary) is an island located in the southeastern part of the Azores and is the southernmost island in the Azores Islands. ... Graciosa Island, also known as White Island, belongs to the Central Group of the Archipelago of the Azores. ... Corvo Island (Portuguese, Ilha do Corvo, lit. ... The Mergui Archipelago The Archipelago Sea, situated between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, the largest archipelago in the world by the number of islands. ... On the Earth, a circle of latitude is an imaginary east-west circle that connects all locations with a given latitude. ... The Azores High, also known as the Bermuda High in the United States, is a large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure found near the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, at the Horse latitudes. ... For other uses, see Ant (disambiguation). ...

Lagoa das Sete Cidades

The archipelago lie in the Palearctic ecozone, forming a unique biome the macaronesian subtropical laurissilva, with many endemic species of plants. The uniqueness of the islands gives them a very distinctive aspect. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 154 KB) Photograph taken by Ulrik Sverdrup in February 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 154 KB) Photograph taken by Ulrik Sverdrup in February 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth surface (see map). ... A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, often referred to as ecosystems. ... This article is about the ecological meaning of endemic. See also endemic (epidemiology). ...

The nine islands have a total area of 2,346 km² (906 sq mi). Their individual areas vary between São Miguel's 759 km² (293 sq mi) and Corvo's 17 km² (7 sq mi). Three islands (São Miguel, Pico and Terceira) are bigger in size than Malta (composed of three different islands), São Miguel Island alone being twice as big. NASA satellite photo (North to the top) Eastern São Miguel landscape Sete Cidades twin lakes, with the town of Sete Cidades to the left Mosteiros, a village on the northwestern coast Furnas São Miguel Island (pron. ... Corvo Island (Portuguese, Ilha do Corvo, lit. ...

The nine islands are divided into three groups:

• The Eastern Group (Grupo Oriental) of São Miguel, Santa Maria and Formigas Islets
• The Central Group (Grupo Central) of Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial
• The Western Group (Grupo Ocidental) of Flores and Corvo.

NASA satellite photo (North to the top) Eastern São Miguel landscape Sete Cidades twin lakes, with the town of Sete Cidades to the left Mosteiros, a village on the northwestern coast Furnas São Miguel Island (pron. ... The island of Santa Maria (Portuguese for Saint Mary) is an island located in the southeastern part of the Azores and is the southernmost island in the Azores Islands. ... Formigas Islets (pron. ... Terceira Island (pron. ... Graciosa Island, also known as White Island, belongs to the Central Group of the Archipelago of the Azores. ... São Jorge (pron. ... Pico Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Pico, pron. ... Faial Island (also known in English as Fayal) is a Portuguese island of the Central group (Grupo Central) of the Azores. ... Flores Island (pron. ... Corvo Island (Portuguese, Ilha do Corvo, lit. ...

Geology

The islands are located atop an active triple junction between three large tectonic plates: the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate. Volcanism associated with the formation of the islands arises from the fact that the Azores Triple Junction involves rifting, a process whereby the crust is spreading along three ridge legs radiating out from the triple junction. The volcanism is also related to the Azores hotspot. The islands began forming during the Tertiary period. Pico, a volcano that stands 2,351 metres (7,713 ft) high on the island of the same name, has the highest altitude in the Azores. A triple junction is the point where three tectonic plates diverge. ...  The North American plate, shown in brown The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Cherskiy Range in East Siberia. ...  The Eurasian plate, shown in green The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate covering Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional continents of Europe and Asia) except that it does not cover the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Verkhoyansk Range in East Siberia. ...  The African plate, shown in pinkish-orange The African Plate is a tectonic plate covering the continent of Africa and extending westward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. ... Tertiary geological time interval covers roughly the time span between the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs and beginning of the most recent Ice Age, approximately 65 million to 1. ... Pico Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Pico, pron. ...

The last volcano to erupt was the Capelinhos Volcano (Vulcão dos Capelinhos) in 1957, in western part of Faial island, increasing the size of that island. Santa Maria Island is the oldest Azorean island presenting several limestone and red clay extensions.

The Gruta das Torres, Algar do Carvão, Gruta do Natal, Gruta das Cinco Ribeiras are some of the many caves of the Azores.

Demographics

On 31 December 2002, the Azores' population was 238,767 at a density of 106 inhabitants per square kilometer (274.5/sq mi). is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

NASA satellite photo (North to the top) Eastern São Miguel landscape Sete Cidades twin lakes, with the town of Sete Cidades to the left Mosteiros, a village on the northwestern coast Furnas São Miguel Island (pron. ... This article is about a city in Sao Miguel Island, Azores. ... Terceira Island (pron. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region A.R. of Azores  - Subregion A.R. of Azores  - District or A.R. A.R. of Azores Mayor José Cardoso  - Party PS Area 239. ... Faial Island (also known in English as Fayal) is a Portuguese island of the Central group (Grupo Central) of the Azores. ... Horta is both a parish and a district in western part of the Azores. ... Pico Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Pico, pron. ... Madalena is both a parish and a district in western part of the Azores. ... São Jorge (pron. ... Coat of Arms Velas is a municipality in the Northern part of the Azores. ... The island of Santa Maria (Portuguese for Saint Mary) is an island located in the southeastern part of the Azores and is the southernmost island in the Azores Islands. ... Vila do Porto is the main village on the island of Santa Maria, part of the archipelago of the Azores. ... Graciosa Island, also known as White Island, belongs to the Central Group of the Archipelago of the Azores. ... Santa Cruz da Graciosa is both a municipality and a parish in the Northern part of the Azores. ... Flores Island (pron. ... Santa Cruz das Flores is both a municipality in the Western part of the Azores. ... Corvo Island (Portuguese, Ilha do Corvo, lit. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region A.R. of Azores  - Subregion A.R. of Azores  - District or A.R. A.R. of Azores Mayor Fernando Pimentel  - Party PS Area 17. ...

Ethnic groups

Main article: Portuguese people

The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Azores are Portuguese, descendants of 15th century immigrants from Algarve (Southern Portugal) and from the Minho (Northern Portugal), with a minor Dutch admixture (particularly from Flanders). Languages Portuguese Religions Predominantly Roman Catholic Related ethnic groups Galicians and other Spaniards, Italians, French The Portuguese people (Portuguese: ; literally the Portuguese) are the ethnic group or nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Algarve NUTS II region, and the district of Faro in Portugal. ... Historical province of Minho Minho is a historical province of Portugal. ... Map showing Norte Region in Portugal. ... The Dutch (Ethnonym: Nederlanders meaning Lowlanders) are the dominant ethnic group[1] of the Netherlands[2]. They are usually seen as a Germanic people. ... For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation). ...

Since the 17th century, many of them emigrated, mainly to Brazil, the USA and Canada.^[2] (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

See also

Portugal Portal

• Canary Islands
• Cape Verde
• Madeira
• Macaronesia
• Postage stamps and postal history of the Azores

Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... This article is about the islands in the Atlantic Ocean. ... For other uses, see Madeira (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with Micronesia. ... This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Azores. ...

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

The Azores

• Wikimedia Atlas of the Azores
• Azores.gov.pt Azores Regional Government
• Wikitravel
• Azores Tourism Board
• History from an American Military source
• Azores Virtual Tour
• Azores Weathercams (Projectos Climaat e Climarcost)
• Azores Paper Money
• Azores (Portugal), coat of arms Coat of arms eps, svg
• Azores Taxitours & 500 Pictures of S.Miguel, Azores

v • d • e Azores Islands - Arquipélago dos Açores Eastern Group: Santa Maria | São Miguel Central Group: Terceira | Graciosa | São Jorge | Pico | Faial Western Group: Flores | Corvo Islets: Formigas | Vila Franca Islet | Sabrina Island | Mosteiros Islets | Cabras Islets | Fradinhos | Topo Islet | Rosais Islets | Praia Islet | Baixo Islet | Madalena Islets | Monchique Islet Reefs, banks and seamounts: Dollabarat | Princess Alice Bank | Dom João de Castro Bank | Hydrothermal vents of the Azores Caves: Gruta das Torres | Algar do Carvão Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... The island of Santa Maria (Portuguese for Saint Mary) is an island located in the southeastern part of the Azores and is the southernmost island in the Azores Islands. ... NASA satellite photo (North to the top) Eastern São Miguel landscape Sete Cidades twin lakes, with the town of Sete Cidades to the left Mosteiros, a village on the northwestern coast Furnas São Miguel Island (pron. ... Terceira Island is a Portuguese island in the Azores Archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... There is also a Graciosa in the Canary Islands, see Graciosa, Canary Islands Graciosa Island (pron. ... São Jorge (pron. ... Pico Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Pico, pron. ... Faial Island (also known in English as Fayal) is a Portuguese island of the Central group (Grupo Central) of the Azores. ... Flores Island (pron. ... Corvo Island (Portuguese, Ilha do Corvo, lit. ... The Formigas (pron. ... The eruption of the Sabrina Island, as drawn June 19th, 1811, by lieutenant John William Miles of HMS Sabrina. ... The Monchique Islet, Europes westernmost point. ... The Dollabarat Islets are situated 5 km (3 nautical miles) south southeast of the Formigas Islets in the Azores archipelago. ... Dom João de Castro Bank is a large submarine volcano that lies midway between the islands of Terceira and São Miguel and rises 14 m bellow the sea surface. ...

Geographic locale
v • d • e Administrative divisions of Portugal Districts Aveiro · Beja · Braga · Bragança · Castelo Branco · Coimbra · Évora · Faro · Guarda · Leiria · Lisboa · Portalegre · Porto · Santarém · Setúbal · Viana do Castelo · Vila Real · Viseu Autonomous regions Azores · Madeira v • d • e Geography of Europe Sovereign states Albania · Andorra · Armenia1 · Austria · Azerbaijan2 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus1 · Czech Republic · Denmark4 · Estonia · Finland · France4, 5, 6 · Georgia2 · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Republic of Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan3 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia3 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain6 · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey3 · Ukraine · United Kingdom (England • Northern Ireland • Scotland • Wales) · Vatican City Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article describes the subdivisions of Portugal. ... The District of Aveiro is located in the central coastal of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Aveiro. ... Beja is a district of Portugal. ... The District of Braga is located in the Northwest of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Braga. ... The District of Bragança is located in the Northeast of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Bragança. ... The District of Castelo Branco is located in the Central Portugal, the District Capital is Castelo Branco, although, the largest city is Covilhã. It has an area of 6675 km² (4th largest in Portugal), and a population of 208,069 inhabitants. ... The District of Coimbra is located in the South of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Coimbra. ... Capital Évora Region Alentejo Historical province Alto Alentejo Area 7. ... Faro is a district of Portugal. ... The District of Guarda is located in the north of Portugal. ... Leiria is a district of Portugal. ... The District of Lisbon (Portuguese: Lisboa) is located in the South Central Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Lisbon, also the national Capital. ... The District of Portalegre is located in the South of Portugal. ... The District of Oporto is located in the North Coastal of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Oporto (Portuguese: Porto), the second largest city in the country. ... The District of Santarém is located in Central Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Santarém. ... Capital Setúbal Region Lisbon and Alentejo Historical province Estremadura and Baixo Alentejo Area 5. ... The District of Viana do Castelo is located in the northwest of Portugal, bounded by Spain at the north, and Braga (district) at the south. ... The District of Vila Real is located in the Northeast of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Vila Real. ... The District of Viseu is located in the Central Inland of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Viseu. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Flag of the Azores Autonomous Region. ... For other uses, see Madeira (disambiguation). ... Europe is traditionally reckoned as one of seven continents. ... This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged, gives an overview of states around the world with information on the extent of their sovereignty. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... The Republic of Montenegro (Serbian: Црна Гора, Crna Gora, meaning black mountain) is a small, mountainous state in the Serbia and Montenegro union, bordering Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and the Adriatic Sea. ... Map of Serbia according to United Nations and to United States before Operation Allied Force Serbia according to United States’ CIA 2008 World Factbook 2006 CIA World Factbook map. ... The geography of England England comprises the central and southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain, plus offshore islands of which the largest is the Isle of Wight. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Map of Scotland Although Scotland is a relatively small country, with a land area of 78 772 km², its geography is highly varied, from the rural lowlands, to the barren highlands, and from large cities to uninhabited islands. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Dependencies, autonomies, other territories Abkhazia 2 · Adjara1 · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Åland · Azores · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gagauzia · Gibraltar · Greenland7 · Guernsey · Jan Mayen · Jersey · Kosovo · Isle of Man · Madeira8 · Nagorno-Karabakh1 · Nakhchivan1 · Northern Cyprus1 · Republika Srpska · South Ossetia 2 · Svalbard · Transnistria World map of dependent territories. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Types of administrative and/or political territories include: A legally administered territory, which is a non-sovereign geographic area that has come under the authority of another government. ... National anthem Aiaaira Official languages Abkhaz, with Russian having co-official status and widespread use by government and other institutions Political status De facto independent Capital Sukhumi Capitals coordinates President Sergei Bagapsh Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab Independence  â€“ Declared  â€“ Recognition From Georgia  23 July 1992  none Currency Russian ruble Official... The Ã…land Islands occupy a position of great strategic importance, as they command one of the entrances to the port of Stockholm, as well as the approaches to the Gulf of Bothnia, in addition to being situated near the Gulf of Finland. ... Motto Процветание в единстве(Russian) Protsvetanie v edinstve(transliteration) Prosperity in unity Anthem Нивы и горы твои волшебны, Родина(Russian) Nivy i gory tvoi volshebny, Rodina(transliteration) Your fields and mounts are wonderful, Motherland Location of Crimea (red) with respect to Ukraine (light blue). ... Motto: Nulli Expugnabilis Hosti (Latin: Conquered By No Enemy) Languages English (official), an English-influenced Spanish dialect called Llanito is also spoken Capital (Gibraltar) Coordinates 36° 07 N, 5° 21 W Governor and Commander-in-Chief Sir Francis Richards Chief Minister Peter Caruana Area  - Total  - % water not ranked (192 if... For the garment with this name, see guernsey. ... For other uses, see Kosovo (disambiguation). ... Motto Das ilhas, as mais belas e livres(Portuguese) Of all islands, the most beautiful and free Anthem A Portuguesa (national) Hino da Região Autónoma da Madeira (local) Capital (and largest city) Funchal Official languages Portuguese Government Autonomous region  -  President Alberto João Jardim Establishment  -  Settled 1420   -  Autonomy... Italics indicates an unrecognised or partially recognised country. 1 Entirely in Southwest Asia.  2 Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the border definitions.  3 / 4 / 5 / 6 Has part of its territory in Asia / North America / South America / Africa.  7 / 8 Entirely on the North American Plate / African Plate.