View of Bioko from satellite

Bioko (spelled also Bioco) is an island off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea, part of Equatorial Guinea. In colonial times it was known as Fernando Pó or Fernando Póo, and under the Africanization policy of dictator Masie Nguema Biyogo it was renamed Masie Ngueme Biyogo Island; on his overthrow in 1979 it was named Bioko. It is known as Otcho to the Bubi people. For other uses, see Africa (disambiguation). ... The Gulf of Guinea is the part of the Atlantic southwest of Africa. ... Geographical renaming is the act of changing the name of a geographical feature or area. ... Africanization, as used in this article, refers to the modification of place names or personal names to better reflect an African identity. ... Francisco Macías Nguema (1924 - September 29, 1979; original name Mez-m Ngueme) was the first post-colonial leader of Equatorial Guinea. ... The Bubi are an African ethnic group which is primarily located in Equatorial Guinea. ...

Geography

Bioko has a total area of 2,017 square kilometers. It is 70 km long from NNE to SSW and about 32 km across. It is volcanic and very mountainous with highest peak Pico Basile (3012 m) and in this way resembles neighboring islands such as São Tomé and Príncipe. Pico Basilé (formerly Pico de Santa Isabel) is the highest mountain in Equatorial Guinea. ... São Tomé (population 53,300 in 2003) is the capital city of São Tomé and Príncipe and is by far the nations largest town. ... Príncipe is the smaller of the two major islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. ...

Demographics

The island has a population of 130,000 inhabitants of which most belong to the Bubi tribe. The rest of the population are Fernandinos, Spaniards and immigrants from Rio Muni, Nigeria and Cameroon. The Bubi are an African ethnic group which is primarily located in Equatorial Guinea. ... Fernandinos are a relatively new ethnic group of Equatorial Guinea. ... Rio Muni (called Mbini in Fang), mainland geographical region of Equatorial Guinea, covering 26,000 km². Rio Muni was ceded by Portugal to Spain in 1778. ...

Flag of the Bubi peoples

Image File history File links Bubi_nationalist_flag. ... Image File history File links Bubi_nationalist_flag. ... The Bubi are an African ethnic group which is primarily located in Equatorial Guinea. ...

History

The island was inhabited in the middle of the first millennium C.E. by Bantu tribes from the mainland which formed the ethnic group Bubi. The first European discovery of the island was made in 1472, by the Portuguese navigator Fernão do Pó. It was at first named Formosa Flora ('Beautiful Flower'), but in 1494 was renamed for its discoverer (Fernando Pó or Fernando Póo). Unlike other islands in the area, Bioko had an indigenous (African) population. Still a distinct ethnic group on the island today, these indigenous people, the Bubi, speak a Bantu language; the island was probably inhabited by this or other Bantu-speaking groups since before the 7th century BC. Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ... The Bubi are an African ethnic group which is primarily located in Equatorial Guinea. ... Events February 20 - The Orkneys and Shetlands are annexed to the crown of Scotland Discovery of Newfoundland by Didrik Pining and João Vaz Corte-Real. ... Fernão do Pó (15th century; also Fernão Pó, Fernando Pó, Fernando Póo) was a Portuguese explorer of the African coast, discoverer, in 1472, of the island initially called Formosa (Beautiful), later called Fernando Poo (after him) and recently renamed Bioko, located in the Gulf of Guinea. ... 1494 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bubi are an African ethnic group which is primarily located in Equatorial Guinea. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 7th century BC started on January 1, 700 BC and ended on December 31, 601 BC. // Overview Events Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria who created the the first systematically collected library at Nineveh A 16th century depiction of the Hanging Gardens of...

In 1642 the Dutch Indian Company established its trade bases on the island without Portuguese consent, temporarily centralizing from there the trade of slaves in the Gulf of Guinea, although the Portuguese appeared once again on the island in 1648, replacing the Dutch Company by one of their own dedicated to the same trade and established in its neighbour island Corisco. Parallel with this establishment began the slow process of establishing the core of a new kingdom on the island formed by Bubi clans, especially after the activity of some local chiefs like Molombo (approx. 1700–1760) during a period of harsh enslavement in the region, a situation that forced local clans to abandon their coastal settlements and settle in the safer interior of the island. Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... Corisco, or Mandj, is a small island of Equatorial Guinea, located 29 km southwest of the Rio Muni estuary that defines the border with Gabon. ...

Bioko in the distance from Limbe, Cameroon

Portugal ceded to Spain Fernando Póo, Annobón and the Guinea coast (modern Equatorial Guinea) in 1778, with the Treaty of El Pardo, signed between Queen Mary II of Portugal and King Charles III of Spain, in exchange for territory in the American continent. Spain then mounted an expedition to Fernando Póo, led by the Conde de Argelejos and stayed for four months. In October 1778 Spain installed a governor on the island that stayed till 1780 when the Spanish mission left the island. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1632x1120, 1562 KB) Ocean at Limbe, Southwest Province, Cameroon, with Bioko (Equatorial Guinea) visible in the distance. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1632x1120, 1562 KB) Ocean at Limbe, Southwest Province, Cameroon, with Bioko (Equatorial Guinea) visible in the distance. ... The shore at Limbe Limbe (also spelled Limbé) is a city in western Cameroon. ... Image:Annobon island. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Palacio Real de El Pardo is a Spanish royal palace near Madrid. ... Maria II, Queen of Portugal (April 4, 1819 - November 15, 1853). ... Charles III of Spain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Molambo was succeeded by another local chief, Lorite (1760-1810) who was succeeded by Lopoa (1810-1842). From 1827 to 1843 the British leased bases at Port Clarence (modern Malabo) and San Carlos for their anti-slavery patrols. Juan José Lerena in March 1843 put the Spanish flag in Malabo, ending British influence on the island. Madabita (1842-1860) and Sepoko (1860-1875) were principal local chiefs during reestablishment of Spanish rule on the island. This period was also marked by immigration of several hundred Afro-Cubans as well as tens of Spanish scholars and politicians. Naval Battle of Navarino by Carneray 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... . Malabo is the capital city of Equatorial Guinea, located on the northern coast of Bioko Island (formerly Fernando Poo). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

A rectangular transport route links the four main cities – Malabo, Luba, Baney and Riaba. . Malabo is the capital city of Equatorial Guinea, located on the northern coast of Bioko Island (formerly Fernando Poo). ... Luba is the second largest town of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea, having a population of around 7,000 people. ...

The island was used as a base for flights into Biafra during the Nigerian civil war. National motto: Peace, Unity, Freedom Official language Igbo, English Capital Enugu Largest city Port Harcourt Head of State Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Chief of General Staff (VP) Philip Effiong Area ?- Total ?- % water Population;- Total 13,500,000 (1967) Currency Biafran pound (BIAP) Created May 30, 1967 Dissolved January 15, 1970 National... Combatants Nigerian federal government Republic of Biafra Commanders Yakubu Gowon Odumegwu Ojukwu Casualties 1,000,000 soldiers and civillians Estimated 2,000,000 civilians The Nigerian Civil War, July 6, 1967 – January 13, 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as...

Postal history

Main article: History of postage in Fernando Póo

In Popular Culture

• Fernando Poo (without the accent) is the site of a fictional coup d'état and nuclear crisis in Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea's The Illuminatus! Trilogy, where it is an integral part of the first book (The Eye in the Pyramid). The second book (The Golden Apple) reveals that Fernando Poo is one of the last surviving remants of the sunken continent of Atlantis.

A coup détat (pronounced ), or simply coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means by a part of the state establishment — mostly replacing just the high-level figures. ... Robert Anton Wilson Robert Anton Wilson or RAW (born January 18, 1932) is a futurist, libertarian, essayist, and novelist. ... Robert Joseph Shea (1933 - March 10, 1994) was the co-author (with Robert Anton Wilson) of The Illuminatus! Trilogy. ... The Illuminatus! Trilogy is a series of three novels written by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson primarily between 1969 and 1971. ... Atlantis (Greek: , Island of Atlas) is the name of an island first mentioned and described by the classical Greek philosopher Plato. ...

See also

• Movement for the Self-Determination of Bioko Island

The Movement for the Self-Determination of Bioko Island (Spanish: Movimiento para la Auto-determinación de la Isla de Bioko) is a proscribed political organization in Equatorial Guinea. ...

References

• Room, Adrian (1994). African placenames. Jefferson, NC (USA): McFarland. ISBN 0-89950-943-6
• Sundiata, Ibrahim K. (1990). Equatorial Guinea: Colonialism, State Terror, and the Search for Stability. Boulder, CO (USA): Westview Press. ISBN 0-8133-0429-6

External links

• Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program
• Gulf of Guinea Conservation Group

Portuguese Empire — Former colonies & present overseas territories

North Africa:	Aguz (Souira Guedima) (1506-1525) | Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) (1458-1550) | Arzila (Asilah) (1471-1550, 1577-1589) | Azamor (Azemmour) (1513-1541) | Ceuta (1415-1640) | Mazagan (El Jadida) (1485-1550, 1506-1769) | Mogador (Essaouira) (1506-1525) | Safim (Safi) (1488-1541) | Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir) (1505-1769) | Tangier (1471-1662)
Subsaharan Africa:	Accra (1557-1578) | Angola (Portuguese West Africa) (1575-1975) | Annobón (1474-1778) | Arguin (1455-1633) | Cabinda (Portuguese Congo) (1885-1975) | Cape Verde (1642-1975) | Elmina (São Jorge da Mina) (1482-1637) | Fernando Póo (1478-1778) | Portuguese Gold Coast (1482-1642) | Portuguese Guinea 1879-1974 (Bissau 1687-1974 & Cacheu 1588-1974) | Madagascar (part) (1496-1550) | Malindi (1500-1630) | Mascarene Islands (1498-1540) | Mombassa (1593-1698, 1728-1729) | Mozambique (Portuguese East Africa) (1501-1975) | Saint Helena | Quíloa (Kilwa) (1505-1512) | Saint Laurent Islands (Madagascar) (1498-1540) | São João Baptista de Ajudá (1680-1961) | São Tomé and Príncipe 1753-1975 (São Tomé 1470-1975, Príncipe 1500-1975) | Socotra (1506-1511) | Zanzibar (1503-1698) | Ziguinchor (1645-1888)
West Asia:	Bahrain (1521-1602) | Gamru (Bandar Abbas) (1506-1615) | Hormuz (Ormus) (1515-1622) | Muscat (1515-1650)
Indian Subcontinent:	Ceylon (Ceilão) (1518-1658) | Laccadive Islands (1498-1545) | Maldives (1518-1521, 1558-1573) | Portuguese India (Baçaím (Vasai) 1535-1739, Bombay (Mumbai) 1534-1661, Calicut (Kozhikode) 1512-1525, Cambay (Khambhat) , Cannanore (Kannur) 1502-1663, Chaul 1521-1740, Chittagong 1528-1666, Cochim (Kochi) 1500-1663, Cranganore (Kodungallur) 1536-1662, Dadra and Nagar Haveli 1779-1954, Daman and Diu 1559-1962, Goa 1510-1962, Hughli (1579-1632), Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1598-1610, Mangalore 1568-1659, Negapatam (Nagapattinam) 1507-1657, Paliacate (Pulicat) 1518-1619, Quilon (Coulão, Kollam) 1502-1661, Salsette Island 1534-1601, São Tomé de Meliapore (Saint Thomas of Mylapur) 1523-1662/1687-1749, Surat 1540-1612, Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) 1548-1658)
East Asia and Oceania:	Banda Islands (1512-1621) | Flores | Macau 1553-1999 (Coloane 1864-1999, Taipa 1851-1999, Ilha Verde 1890-1999, Lapa and Montanha 1938-1941) | Makassar (1512-1665) | Malacca (Melaka) (1511-1641) | Moluccas 1512-1621 (Ambon 1576-1605, Ternate 1522-1575, Tidore 1578-1650) | Nagasaki (Decima) (1571-1639) | Portuguese Timor (East Timor) (1642-1975)
South America:	Brazil (1500-1822) | Cisplatina (Uruguay) (1808-1822) | French Guiana (1809-1817) | Nova Colônia do Sacramento (1680-1777) | Upper Peru (1822) | Portuguese colonization of the Americas
North Atlantic:	Azores (1432-) | Madeira (1420-)

Coordinates: 3°30′N 8°42′E Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Maximum extent of Portuguese colonial possessions in the 16th century. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Souira Guedima, formerly known as Aguz, is a Moroccan town. ... Alcácer Ceguer (also know as El Qsar es Seghir) was a moroccan stronghold in the Strait of Gibraltrar, between Tanger and Ceuta. ... Asilah or Arzila is a city situated on the northwest tip of Morocco with a history back to 1500 B.C. The Phoenicians used the city as a trading site. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Area  â€“ Total   28 km² Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  75,276  2688. ... El Jadida (الجديدة) is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, in the province of El Jadida. ... The ramparts of Essaouira Essaouira (Arabic: ‎) is a city and tourist resort in Morocco, near Marrakesh on the Atlantic coast. ... Asfi (french Safi) is a city located in western Morocco, by the Atlantic Ocean. ... Panorama of the seaside from the Kasbah The beach seen from the Anezi Hotel Agadir is a city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Souss-Massa-Dra region. ... Tangier, Morocco Tangier (Tanja طنچة in Berber and Arabic, Tánger in Spanish, and Tanger in French), is a city of northern Morocco with a population of 669,685 (2004 census). ... The skyline Location of Accra Labadi Beach Downtown Accra Accra, population 1,970,400 (2005), is the capital of Ghana. ... Motto: Virtus Unita Fortior (English: United virtue is stronger) Anthem: Angola Avante! (Portuguese: Forward Angola!) Capital Luanda Largest city Luanda Official language(s) Portuguese Government Multi-party democracy  - President José Eduardo dos Santos  - Prime Minister Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos Independence From Portugal   - Date November 11, 1975  Area    - Total... Image:Annobon island. ... Arguin is an island off the west coast of Mauritania in the Bay of Arguin, at 20° 36 N., 16° 27 W. It is 6 km long by 2 broad. ... Map of Angola, highlighting Cabinda (at top) Cabinda is a small territory, administered as an exclave of Angola. ... Elmina is a town on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ghana, lying west of Cape Coast. ... Flag of Gold Coast Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa. ... Portuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974. ... Bissau, estimated population 355,000 (2004), is the capital of Guinea-Bissau. ... Cacheu is a town in north western Guinea-Bissau, lying on the Cacheu River. ... Malindi is a city in Kenya that has been a Swahili settlement since the 14th century. ... Mauritius (right) and Réunion (left) The Mascarene Islands (or Mascarenhas Archipelago) is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, which includes Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues, and Cargados Carajos shoals. ... Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya. ... Mozambique is a country in Southern Africa, bordering South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ... Kilwa Kisiwani is an Islamic community on an island off the coast of East Africa, in present day Tanzania. ... Ouidah is a city on the Atlantic coast of Benin. ... São Tomé (population 53,300 in 2003) is the capital city of São Tomé and Príncipe and is by far the nations largest town. ... Príncipe is the smaller of the two major islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. ... Map of the Socotra archipelago Socotra or Soqotra (Arabic سقطرى ; Suquá¹­ra) is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean off the Horn of Africa, some 350 km south of the Arabian peninsula. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar (IPA pronunciation: ), as used today, is the collective name for two East African islands off mainland Tanzania: Unguja (also called Zanzibar) and Pemba. ... Ziguinchor (from Portuguese Cheguei e choram, I came and they Cry) is the capital of the Casamance region of Senegal, lying on the Casamance River. ... Categories: Iran geography stubs | Cities in Iran | Coastal cities ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Classification City Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said Area 3,500 km² [1] Population  - Total (2005)  - Density  - Oman calculated rank 646,024 [2] 184. ... Motto: none Anthem: Sri Lanka Matha, by Ananda Samarakone Capital Sri Jayawardenapura, legislative capital; Colombo, commercial capital Largest city Colombo Official language(s) Sinhala, Tamil Government Democratic Socialist Republic  - President Mahinda Rajapaksa  - Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Independence From the UK   - Granted February 4, 1948  Area    - Total 65,610 km² (122nd... Lakshadweep (Malayalam: ലക്ഷദ്വീപ് []) is the smallest Union Territory of India. ... Portuguese India (Port. ... Vasai-Virar is a city in Maharashtra state in western India. ... MumbaÄ« (DevanāgarÄ«: मुंबई, IPA: ), formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India, with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006)[1]. Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra. ... Kozhikode district and city in Kerala Kozhikode in Malayalam കോഴിക്കോട്, also known as Calicut, is the third largest city (pop. ... Khambhat, formerly known as Cambay, is a town in Gujarat state, India. ... Inside St. ... Chaul is a former city of Portuguese India, now in ruins. ... Chittagong (Bengali: চট্টগ্রাম, Chôţţogram) is the major seaport and second largest city of Bangladesh. ... Kochi ( ; Malayalam: []); formerly known as Cochin) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, and one of the principal seaports of the country. ... Cranganore (modern day Kodungallur) and known in ancient times as Shinkli, Muchiri (anglicised to Muziris), Muyirikkodu, Muchiripattinam was a famous and prosperous sea-port at the mouth of the Periyar (also known as Choorni Nadi) river in the southern Indian state of Kerala. ... Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Gujarati: દાદરા અને નગર હવેલી, Hindi: दादरा और नगर हवेली, Urdu: دادرہ اور نگر حویلی, Portuguese: Dadrá e Nagar-Aveli) is a Union Territory in western India. ... Daman and Diu (Portuguese: Gujarati is the main language; use of Portuguese is declining because it is not official or taught at school (but still spoken by 10% in Daman). ... For other uses, see Goa (disambiguation). ... Hugli-Chinsura (also commonly known as Hooghly-Chinsura) is a town in West Bengal, India. ... Machilipatnam , also known as Masulipatnam or Bandar or Masula (for short among Finnish mission workers [3]), is a city on the southeastern or Coromandel Coast of India. ... IMPORTANT NOTICE TO TRAVELLERS TO DAKSHINA KANNADA (AND MANGALORE) AREA: PLEASE NOTE THAT MANGALORE AND THE NEARBY AREAS IN THE DISTRICT OF DAKSHINA KANNADA ARE PRONE TO MOB VIOLENCE BETWEEN HINDUS AND MOSLEMS [1]. EXTREMIST ORGANISATIONS LIKE SIMI AND BAJRANG DAL ARE ACTIVE IN THE AREA, ACCORDING TO THE HOME... Nagapattinam (formerly known as Negapatam and also as Shiva Rajadhani) is a small city with a population of about 100,000, located in coastal Tamil Nadu, India. ... Pulicat is a town which lies in the Tiruvallur District, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ... For the district with the same name, see Kollam District. ... The island as seen from the sky Salsette is an island in Maharashtra state on Indias west coast. ... Saint Thomas of Mylapore, or in Portuguese São Tomé de Meliapore, in Latin Sancti Thomae de Meliapor), was a suffragan to the primatial See of Goa in the East Indies. ... Surat (Gujarati:સુરત) is a port city in the Indian state of Gujarat and administrative headquarters of the Surat District. ... Thoothukudi (தூத்துக்குடி in Tamil). ... Banda Besar island seen from Fort Belgica The Banda Islands (Kepulauan Banda in Bahasa Indonesia) are a group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about 140km south of Seram island and about 2000km east of Java, and are part of the Indonesian province of Maluku. ... Map of Flores Island Flores (Portuguese for flowers) is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. ... Coloane (Traditional Chinese: 路環島; Simplified Chinese: 路环岛; Pinyin: Lùhuán DÇŽo; Jyutping: Lou6-waan4 Dou2, literally Road Ring Island) is one of the two main islands of Macau in the Peoples Republic of China. ... Taipa (氹仔島; Cantonese Jyutping; Tam5 Zai2 Dou2; pinyin: DàngzÇŽi DÇŽo) is an island of Macau in the Peoples Republic of China. ... Ilha Verde (Portuguese literally meaning island green; Chinese: 青洲; Cantonese Yale: chÄ«ng jāu, Jyutping: cing1 zau1; Mandarin pinyin: QÄ«ngzhōu) was formerly an island to the west of the Macao Isthmus. ... Hengqin (横琴岛, 橫琴島; Pinyin: Héngqín DÇŽo) is an island in Zhuhai, a prefecture-level city in the Guangdong Province of Peoples Republic of China. ... Makassar, (Macassar, Mangkasar) is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. ... State motto: Bersatu Teguh (Malay, United We Stand) Capital Malacca Town Governor Tun Datuk Seri Utama Mohd Khalil Yaakob Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam Area 1,650 km² Population  - Estimated 648,500 State anthem Melaka Maju Jaya This article is about a state in Malaysia. ... The Maluku Islands (also known as the Moluccas, Moluccan Islands or simply Maluku) are an archipelago in Indonesia, and part of the larger Malay Archipelago. ... Ceram and Ambon Islands (Operational Navigation Chart, 1967) Not for navigational use Ambon City in 2001, showing heavy damage from fighting Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. ... A 1720 depiction of Ternate. ... Tidore is an island and town in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia, just west of the larger island of Halmahera. ... Nagasaki City Hall Mayor {{{Mayor}}} Address 〒850-8685 Nagasaki-shi, Sakura-machi 2-22 Phone number 095-825-5151 Official website: www1. ... View of Dejima in Nagasaki Bay Scale model of Dutch trading post on display in Dejima (2003) Edo-era boundaries of Dejima island (outlined in red) within the modern city of Nagasaki. ... Portuguese Timor is the former name (1596 - 1975) of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. ... Motto: Libertad o Muerte (English: Liberty or Death) Anthem: Orientales, la Patria o la tumba Capital Montevideo Largest city Montevideo Official language(s) Spanish Government President Democratic Republic Tabaré Vázquez Independence from Brazil - Declared August 25, 1825 - Recognised August 28, 1828 Area  - Total    - Water (%)   176,220 km² (90th) 68... Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... The Republic of Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America. ... Portugal was the leading country in the European exploration of the world in the 15th century. ... Location Motto of the autonomous region: Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos (Portuguese: To die free rather than to be subjugated in peace) Official language Portuguese Capitals Ponta Delgada (Presidency of the autonomous government), Angra do Heroísmo (Supreme Court), Horta (Legislative Assembly) Other towns Praia da Vitória... Location Motto of the autonomous region: Das ilhas, as mais belas e livres (Portuguese: Of the islands, the most beautiful and free) Official language Portuguese Capital Funchal Other towns Porto Santo, Machico, Santa Cruz, Câmara de Lobos, Santana, Ribeira Brava, Caniço Area 797 km² Population  - Total (1991)  - Density... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...