Azores

I

Introduction

Azores, group of nine islands and several islets, in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, an integral part of Portugal about 1,190 km (740 mi) west of the mainland. They extend for about 644 km (400 mi) and form three groups: São Miguel (largest in size and population) and Santa Maria in the south-east; Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the centre; and Flores and Corvo in the north-west. The total land area is 2,335 sq km (902 sq mi). The largest town in the Azores is Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel.

II

Land and Population

With the exception of Santa Maria, the islands are of volcanic origin. Periodic eruptions and earthquakes have devastated settlements throughout the history of the islands. Most of the Azores have steep topography, with the high point being Pico Alto (2,320 m/7,611 ft), an active volcano on Pico. The islands enjoy a relatively temperate climate, but they also are subject to severe Atlantic winds, storms, and currents. The average winter temperature is 14° C (57° F), while the average summer temperature is 23° C (74° F).

The total population of the Azores at the 1991 census was 237,800; the estimated population in the mid-1990s was about 260,000. Except for a few large towns, such as Ponta Delgada and Angra do Heroísmo (on Terceira), the sparse population is scattered throughout the islands. Azorean emigration to North America has been a major factor in the history, economy, and culture of the Azores. Beginning in the 19th century when island residents joined the crews of American whaling ships, large numbers of Azoreans have emigrated to work and live in both the United States and Canada. By the 1990s, more Azoreans resided in North America than in the archipelago.

III

Economy and Government

Once dominated by sugar, wheat, and oranges, the Azorean economy today features the processing of agricultural products as well as dairying, fishing, whaling, and tourism. Textiles from Portugal are the principal import; exports include embroideries, pineapples, tobacco, canned fish, and sperm-whale oil. Hot mineral springs, fine scenery, and a mild climate have made the Azores a popular winter resort area.

As an autonomous region of Portugal, the Azores have a large measure of financial and administrative freedom. A regional assembly is elected from the Azores’s three administrative districts, which are named after their capital cities: Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo, and Horta (located on Faial). The Social Democratic Party is the leading party.

IV

History

Although the Azores were included on a map as early as 1351, Portuguese sailors are not known to have reached them until 1427. The islands were settled by Portuguese and Flemish colonists beginning in the 1430s and 1440s. Occupied by Spain from 1580 to 1640 (when Portugal was under Spanish rule), the islands were a place of rendezvous for returning fleets (especially those from the Caribbean), and thus became a theatre of sea warfare between the Spanish and the English. The Portuguese later used the islands as a place of exile. During World War II, neutral Portugal allowed the Allies to place naval and air bases in the islands. The former United States base on Terceira is now a base of operations for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In 1976, with the ratification of Portugal’s new constitution, the Azores became an autonomous region. Because they are distant from the mainland of Europe, the Azores are used to compile meteorological data essential to computing European weather forecasts. In 1983, the town of Angra do Heroísmo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The remains of 15th-century vineyards and surrounding ancient settlements of the Pico Island landscape were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004.