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77-594: Early documents of the lands of Caniçal came from references to the region's use as a hunting preserve of rich landowners; the lands where the hereditary donation to the sons of the first Captain-donatário of Machico. Gaspar Frutuoso in Saudades da Terra , mentions Caniçal in these terms: The first area to be inhabited was the south-central coast of Caniçal, at the edge of the Ponta de São Lourenço. In those lands, which were donated to Vasco Moniz (the son of Tristão Vaz Teixeira ),

154-540: A Scandinavian rather than Portuguese origin of the local mouse population. A 2021 paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , using data from lake sediment core sampling , suggests brush-clearing was undertaken and animal husbandry introduced between 700 and 850 A.D. These findings suggest a brief period of Norse settlement, and the 2021 paper further cites climate simulations that suggest

231-471: A chapel in the name of the Santissima Virgem , after a group were saved from death by divine intervention . These votes of thanksgiving were also supported by an annual procession (around September), in the name of Nossa Senhora dos Pescadores, which at times included a flotilla of boats As the community expanded further west, the parish built the new Church, around 1749. It was during the mid-1700s that

308-557: A linear line from the Azores to the Azores–Gibraltar transform fault . The islands' volcanism is associated with the rifting along the Azores triple junction ; the spread of the crust along the existing faults and fractures has produced many of the active volcanic and seismic events, while supported by buoyant upwelling in the deeper mantle, some associate with an Azores hotspot . Most of

385-422: A major service activity in the region. In the 20th century and to some extent into the 21st, they have served as a waypoint for refueling aircraft flying between Europe and North America. The government of the Azores employs a large percentage of the population directly or indirectly in the service and tertiary sectors. The largest city of the Azores is Ponta Delgada . The culture, dialect, cuisine, and traditions of

462-455: A northwest–southeast direction. All of the islands have volcanic origins , although some, such as Santa Maria, have had no recorded activity in the time since the islands were settled several centuries ago. Mount Pico , on the island of Pico, is the highest point in Portugal, at 2,351 m (7,713 ft). If measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, the Azores are among

539-493: A pastoral style, about the history of two friends that are separated and forced to live far from home. Some biographers have cited this as a deliberate autobiography of Frutuoso and his university friend, the Micalense medic, Gaspar Gonçalves. Gaspar Frutuoso apparently attempted to publish his work, going so far as to rework and edit his manuscript (the original has many edits in his hand). For reasons that are never clear, although

616-707: A result of emigration. Consequently, some invasive plants have filled these deserted and disturbed lands. Hydrangeas are another potential pest, but their threat is less serious. Notwithstanding the fact that hydrangeas were introduced from America or Asia, some locals consider them a symbol of the archipelago and propagate them along roadsides. Cryptomeria , the Japanese cedar, is a conifer extensively grown for its timber. The two most common of these alien species are Pittosporum undulatum and Hedychium gardnerianum . Reforestation efforts with native laurissilva vegetation have been accomplished successfully in many parts of

693-471: A semi-gently sloping central area, while to the eastern coast, the land extends into a long narrow isthmus at Ponta de São Lourenço . Although most of the mountainous western region is forested, most of the remaining areas of the parish are populated with smaller species of herbaceous bushes, trees and pasturelands, until the Ponta de São Lourenço where vegetation is limited to sparse low-lying grasses. Its main industry has been agriculture and fishing. During

770-616: A small commercial terminal handling scheduled and chartered passenger flights from the other islands in the Azores, Europe, Africa, and North America. Following the Carnation Revolution of 1974, which deposed the Estado Novo dictatorship in Lisbon, Portugal and its territories across the world entered into a period of great political uncertainty. The Azorean Liberation Front attempted to take advantage of this instability immediately after

847-514: A summit there days before the commencement of the Iraq War . The archipelago of the Azores is located in the middle of the northern hemisphere of the Atlantic Ocean and extends along a west-northwest to east-southeast orientation (between 36.5°–40° North latitudes and 24.5°–31.5° West longitudes ) in an area approximately 600 km (373 mi) wide. The islands of the Azores emerged from what

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924-676: Is a system of fractures that extends from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Glória Fault that represents the main frontier between the Eurasian and African plates. It is defined by a line of submarine volcanoes and island mounts that extend northwest to southeast for about 550 km (342 mi), from the area west of Graciosa until the islets of the Formigas, that includes the islands of Graciosa, Terceira and São Miguel. Its northwest limit connects to

1001-531: Is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km (870 mi) west of Lisbon , about 1,500 km (930 mi) northwest of Morocco , and about 1,930 km (1,200 mi) southeast of Newfoundland , Canada . Its main industries are agriculture , dairy farming , livestock , fishing , and tourism , which has become

1078-486: Is called the Azores Plateau , a 5.8 million km region that is morphologically accented by a depth of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The nine islands that compose the archipelago occupy a surface area of 2,346 km (906 sq mi), that includes both the main islands and many islets located in their vicinities. They range in surface area from the largest, São Miguel, at 759 km (293 sq mi) to

1155-537: Is commonly said that the archipelago received its name from açor (Portuguese for goshawk , a common bird at the time of discovery) it is unlikely that the bird ever nested or hunted on the islands. There were no large animals on Santa Maria; after its discovery and before settlement began, sheep were let loose on the island to supply future settlers with food. The archipelago was largely settled from mainland Portugal, but settlement did not take place right away. Gonçalo Velho Cabral gathered resources and settlers for

1232-561: Is known of his childhood, apart from references to him working his father's lands during this period. The first trustworthy record about Frutuoso was his admission to the University of Salamanca (in 1548) where he later obtained an Arts certification. At the age of 31 (in 1554), he was ordained during a visit to São Miguel; his records from 1554 to 1555 show him registered as presbitero bachiller . He continued his studies in Salamanca under

1309-602: The Battle of Salga ). 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 , captured enemies were hanged from yardarms, as they were considered pirates by Philip II. Opponents receiving

1386-613: The Dollabarat on the fringe of the Formigas), banks (specifically the Princess Alice Bank and D. João de Castro Bank ), as well as many hydrothermal vents and sea-mounts are monitored by the regional authorities, owing to the complex geotectonic and socioeconomic significance within the economic exclusion zone of the archipelago. From a geostructural perspective, the Azores are located above an active triple junction between three of

1463-550: The Instituto Cultural de Ponta Delgada since 1966. Azores The Azores ( / ə ˈ z ɔːr z / ə- ZORZ , US also / ˈ eɪ z ɔːr z / , AY -zorz ; Portuguese : Açores , Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈsoɾɯ̞ʃ] ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores ( Região Autónoma dos Açores ), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira ). It

1540-580: The Palearctic realm and has a unique biotic community that includes the Macaronesian subtropical laurissilva , with many endemic species of plants and animals. There are at least 6,112 terrestrial species, of which about 411 are endemic . The majority (75%) of these endemics are animals, mostly arthropods and mollusks . New species are found regularly in the Azores (e.g., 30 different new species of land snails were discovered circa 2013 ). Even though

1617-521: The Portuguese mainland . The division was arbitrary and did not follow the natural island groups, rather reflecting the location of each district capital on the three main cities (none of which were on the western group). In 1931, the Azores (together with Madeira and Portuguese Guinea ) revolted against the Ditadura Nacional and were held briefly by rebel military. In 1943, during World War II ,

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1694-480: The Renaissance . The author is an encyclopedic, literary and artistic observer of the natural phenomenons, preoccupied with experimental alchemy and speculative on aspects of geology, biology, mineralogy and petrology . His detailed descriptions are so detailed that they were published into separate volumes which cover: The fifth volume is an elaborate poem, from the perspective of a fictional character, writing in

1771-519: The São Miguel scops owl , has recently been described, which probably became extinct after human settlement because of habitat destruction and the introduction of alien species. Five species of flightless rail ( Rallus spp.) once existed on the islands, as did a flightless quail ( Coturnix sp.) and another species of bullfinch, the greater Azores bullfinch , but these also went extinct after human colonization. Eleven subspecies of bird are endemic to

1848-694: The University of Évora 's registry (an institution of the Society of Jesus), after 1569. By decree on the 20 May 1565, he was nominated to be the vicar and orator at the parochial Church of Nossa Senhora da Estrela ( Our Lady of the Star ), in the municipality of Ribeira Grande , a position he held for the next 26 years (until his death). During this time, he was dedicated to the parish, as well as charitable works he contributed towards on and off-island, but still had time writing his 16 manuscripts that included Saudades da Terra , and Saudades do Ceu . Ever mindful of

1925-570: The 229m fuel carrier Boavista from Lisbon . A lifeboat service is provided by the Salvador do Mar . The main football club is CF Caniçal who are currently playing in the Portuguese Second Division . Gaspar Frutuoso Gaspar Frutuoso ( c. 1522 – 1591) was a Portuguese priest, historian and humanist from the island of São Miguel , in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores . His major contribution to Portuguese history

2002-662: The American and Portuguese Armed Forces . During the Cold War , U.S. Navy P-3 Orion anti-submarine warfare squadrons patrolled the North Atlantic Ocean for Soviet Navy submarines and surface warships. Since its opening, Lajes Field has been used for refuelling American cargo planes bound for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The U.S. Navy keeps a small squadron of its ships at the harbor of Praia da Vitória , three km (1.9 mi) southeast of Lajes Field. The airfield also has

2079-558: The Azorean islands vary considerably, because these remote islands were settled sporadically over a span of two centuries. There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo , to the west; Graciosa , Terceira , São Jorge , Pico , and Faial in the centre; and São Miguel , Santa Maria , and the Formigas islets to the east. They extend for more than 600 km (370 mi) and lie in

2156-667: The Azores between 1558 and 1560, where he became parish priest in Santa Cruz , in the municipality of Lagoa (records written by him during this period date his time in the parish). In 1560, he decided to return to Salamanca in order to complete a Doctorate in Theology, but began working with Bishop Julião de Alva in Bragança , where he remained until 1563. It is unclear when, and from where, he attained his Doctorate, but he began to use this title from 1565, also when his name began appearing on

2233-599: The Azores look very green and sometimes wild, the vegetation has been extremely altered. A great part of it has been wiped out in the past 600 years for its valuable wood (for tools, buildings, boats, fire wood, and so on) and to clear land for agriculture. As a result, it is estimated that more than half of insects on the Graciosa island have disappeared or will become extinct. Many cultivated places (which are traditionally dedicated to pasture or to growing taro , potatoes, maize and other crops) have now been abandoned, especially as

2310-535: The Azores to store grain and the suggestion by Ribeiro that they might be burial sites is unconfirmed. Detailed examination and dating to authenticate the validity of these speculations is lacking; thus it is unclear whether these structures are natural or human-made and whether they predate the 15th century Portuguese colonization of the Azores. According to a 2015 paper published in Journal of Evolutionary Biology , research based on mouse mitochondrial DNA points to

2387-599: The Azores, with an established port of call at Sao Miguel. In 1904, the service was taken over by the White Star Line, future owners of the ill-fated Titanic . Four ships formerly owned by Dominion were renamed and put into service under White Star, named Canopic , Romanic , Cretic and Republic , the last of which is best known for its 1909 sinking off the New England coast. Canopic and Romanic provided regular services to Boston, while Cretic and Republic operated on

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2464-443: The Azores. The Azores has at least two endemic living bird species. The Azores bullfinch , or Priolo , is restricted to remnant laurisilva forest in the mountains at the eastern end of São Miguel and is classified by BirdLife International as endangered . Monteiro's storm petrel , described to science as recently as 2008, is known to breed in just two locations in the islands but may occur more widely. An extinct species of owl,

2541-712: The Eurasian and African plates. The principal tectonic structures that exist in the region of the Azores are the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , the Terceira Rift , the Azores Fracture Zone and the Glória Fault. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the main frontier between the North American plate and the African-Eurasian plates that crosses the Azores Plateau between the islands of Flores and Faial from north to south then to

2618-587: The Marquess of Pombal projected and ordered construction of military port and arsenal, in the area known as Abra. The fishing community was susceptible to pirate attacks, mostly from the Barbary Coast , and the construction of a small coastal fort to watch for approaching corsairs, especially from Ponta de São. Lourenço. Pirate attacks in the Atlantic islands (Azores and Madeira) were common: the area known as Três Donzelas

2695-561: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, while the southeast section intersects the Gloria Fault southeast of the island of Santa Maria. The Azores Fracture Zone extends from the Glória Fault and encompasses a relatively inactive area to the south of the islands of the Central and Eastern groups north to the Terceira Rift, along a 45° angle. The Glória Fault, for its part, extends 800 km (497 mi) along

2772-554: The Portuguese mainland, but by local people attacking a fortified Castilian garrison. In the late 16th century, the Azores and Madeira began to face problems of overpopulation. Responding to the consequent economic problems, some people of the Azores began to emigrate to the United States, Canada and Brazil. In 1902, the Dominion Line began operating a Mediterranean passenger service between Boston and Italy via Gibraltar and

2849-709: The Portuguese ruler António de Oliveira Salazar leased air and naval bases in the Azores to Great Britain. The occupation of these facilities in October 1943 was codenamed Operation Alacrity by the British. This was a key turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic , enabling the Royal Air Force , the U.S. Army Air Forces , and the U.S. Navy to provide aerial coverage in the Mid-Atlantic gap . This helped them to protect convoys and to hunt hostile German U-boats . In 1944,

2926-677: The Spanish occupation of the island (during the Iberian Union ) may have influenced his decision, he never published the work. The manuscript, along with documents from his library, were sent to the Jesuit College in Ponta Delgada and preserved until 1760 (when the Society of Jesus was expelled from Portugal). The manuscript fell into the hands of people who restricted access to the document, until it

3003-440: The U.S. constructed a small and short-lived air base on the island of Santa Maria. In 1945, a new base was constructed on the island of Terceira, named Lajes Field . This air base is in an area called Lajes, a broad, flat sea terrace that had been a large farm. Lajes Field is a plateau rising out of the sea on the northeast corner of the island. This air base is a joint American and Portuguese venture. Lajes Field continues to support

3080-490: The author identified a Fleming , Joshua Vander Berg of Bruges , who made landfall in the archipelago during a storm on his way to Lisbon. According to Ashe, the Portuguese explored the area and claimed it for Portugal. Other writers note the discovery of the first islands (São Miguel, Santa Maria and Terceira) by sailors in the service of Henry the Navigator, although there are few documents to support such claims. Although it

3157-604: The author, of the history and geography of the Atlantic territories of the Kingdom of Portugal, as well as the Canary Islands (lands at one time attributed to Portugal). It is a referential work for the understanding of the islands of Macaronesia at the end of the 16th Century. The work is not limited to geography and history, but also covers daily life, customs and traditions, genealogy , the origins of place names, flora and fauna , and affirms Frutuoso's humanist nature, typical of

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3234-417: The capital was moved to Ponta Delgada . The town of Vila Franca do Campo was rebuilt on the original site, and today is a thriving fishing and yachting port. Ponta Delgada received its city status in 1546. From the first settlement, the pioneers applied themselves to agriculture, and by the 15th century Graciosa was exporting wheat, barley, wine and brandy. The goods were sent to Terceira largely because of

3311-601: The decade to 2006 the port of Caniçal was extensively developed to become the principal cargo port for Madeira, with new facilities for containers, bulk shipping and fishing. In 2007 cargo shipping operations at Funchal ended, and the remaining trade transferred to Caniçal. The 100-120m self-unloading transinsular ( Mares Lusos ) containerships Insular , Ponta do Sol and Monte Brasil make stops here on their route to Lisbon . The 134m containership John Lucas Dede stops here after Leixões , Rotterdam and Hamburg . The 108m bulk carrier Islas Dos calls here regularly, as does

3388-399: The dominant winds in the North Atlantic Ocean in that period blew from the northeast, which would have taken Viking ships heading southwest from Scandinavia more or less directly to the Azores. In 1427, a captain sailing for Prince Henry the Navigator , possibly Gonçalo Velho , may have discovered the Azores, but this is not certain. In Thomas Ashe 's 1813 work A History of the Azores ,

3465-571: The end of the 15th century. By 1490, there were 2,000 Flemings living on the islands of Terceira, Pico, Faial, São Jorge and Flores. Because there was such a large Flemish settlement, the Azores became known as the Flemish Islands or the Isles of Flanders. Prince Henry the Navigator was responsible for this Flemish settlement. His sister, Isabel , was married to Philip the Good , Duke of Burgundy, Flanders, at

3542-549: The first of the oldest farms were established (5 September 1489). It was not the importance of its community or level of development that justified the creation of the first chapel in Caniçal: its distance, number of people (ten couples) and difficulties in communication, justified the construction by regal charter on 25 August 1527. Even by 1561, when the parish was established, the community only included consisted of fifteen couples. The Chapel of São Sebastião, founded by Garcia Moniz in

3619-450: The first quarter of the 16th century, became the parish seat. It was actually constructed in the area of Igreja Velha where the older temple was destroyed by pirates. In 1594, the chapel was remodelled or reconstructed, but was once again destroyed during the 1748 earthquake, requiring the founding of a new church. In the 16th century, the primitive chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade was constructed by local fishermen who had promised to erect

3696-537: The inactive cones in central São Miguel Island, the aforementioned Capelinhos on Faial, the volcanic complexes of Terceira or Plinian caldeira of Corvo Island. The islands of the archipelago were formed through volcanic and seismic activity during the Neogene Period; the first embryonic surfaces started to appear in the waters of Santa Maria during the Miocene epoch (from circa 8 million years ago). The sequence of

3773-429: The island formation has been generally characterized as: Santa Maria (8.12 Ma), São Miguel (4.1 Ma), Terceira (3.52 Ma), Graciosa (2.5 Ma), Flores (2.16 Ma), Faial (0.7 Ma), São Jorge (0.55 Ma), Corvo (0.7 Ma) and the youngest, Pico (0.27 Ma). All islands have experienced volcanism during their geological history, with Late Holocene volcanism being recorded from Flores and Faial. Within recorded "human settlement" history

3850-522: The island of São Jorge, which exceeded 7 on the Richter magnitude scale. In comparison, the 1522 earthquake that was mentioned by historian Gaspar Frutuoso measured 6.8, but its effects were judged to be X ( Extreme ) on the Mercalli intensity scale , and was responsible for the destruction of Vila Franca do Campo and landslides that may have killed more than 5,000 of the inhabitants. The archipelago lies in

3927-499: The islands of Santa Maria, Graciosa, Flores, and Corvo have not experienced any volcanic eruptions; in addition to active fumaroles and hot-springs, the remaining islands have had sporadic eruptions since the 14th century. Apart from the Capelinhos volcano in 1957–1958, the last recorded instance of "island formation" occurred off the coast of São Miguel, when the island of Sabrina was briefly formed. Owing to its geodynamic environment,

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4004-512: The islands. The Azores has an endemic bat, the Azores noctule , which has an unusually high frequency of diurnal flight. The islets of the Formigas (the Portuguese word for "ants"), including the area known as the Dollabarat Reef, have a rich environment of maritime species, such as black coral and manta rays , different species of sharks, whales, and sea turtles. Seventeen new marine reserves (with special conservation status) were added to

4081-642: The last part of the Portuguese Empire to resist Philip's reign over Portugal ( Macau resisted any official recognition), until the defeat of forces loyal to the Prior of Crato with the Conquest of the Azores in 1583. Portuguese control resumed with the end of the Iberian Union in 1640 and the beginning of the Portuguese Restoration War , not by the professional military, who were occupied with warfare on

4158-431: The major population centres. It is also generally wet and cloudy. A small number of alleged hypogea (underground structures carved into rocks) have been identified on the islands of Corvo, Santa Maria, and Terceira by Portuguese archaeologist Nuno Ribeiro, who speculated that they might date back 2,000 years, implying a human presence on the island before the Portuguese. These structures have been used by settlers in

4235-502: The new Portuguese regime and also where the Council of Regency ( Conselho de Regência ) of Maria II of Portugal was established. 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, equivalent (except in area) to those in

4312-467: The news variously portrayed Philip II as a despot or " Black Legend ", the sort of insult widely made against contemporary monarchs engaged in aggressive empire building and the European wars of religion . Figueiredo and Violante do Canto helped organize a resistance on Terceira that influenced some of the response of the other islands, even as internal politics and support for Philip's faction increased on

4389-401: The next three years (1433–1436) and sailed to establish colonies, first on Santa Maria and then on São Miguel . Settlers built houses, established villages and cleared bush and rocks to plant crops, grain, grapevines, sugar cane and other plants suitable for local use and for export. They brought domesticated animals, such as chickens, rabbits, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. The settlement of

4466-527: The noted theologian Domingo de Soto , the royal confessor of King Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (and Charles I of Spain) and envoy to the Council of Trent , where he obtained a theology baccalaureate. During his time in Salamanca he became friends with Father Miguel Torres, a member of the Society of Jesus , which would later serve him as he was promoting charitable activities in the Azores. He briefly returned to

4543-583: The other islands (including specifically on São Miguel, where the Gonçalvez da Câmara family supported the Spanish claimant). An English raid of the Azores in 1589 successfully plundered some islands and harbouring ships; eight years later, a second raid failed – the Islands Voyage . Spain held the Azores under the Iberian Union from 1580 to 1642 (called the "Babylonian captivity" in the Azores). The Azores were

4620-414: The politics of the time, during the period of the Philippine Dynasty , he was: In 1566, during the French assault on Funchal , he collected funds and wheat for the people of Madeira . He died on 24 August 1591 and was buried in the Church of Nossa Senhora da Estrela, in Ribeira Grande. Saudades da Terra , literally Nostalgic-longing for the Land , is a six-volume tome that contains observations by

4697-478: The proximity of that island. Portugal fell into a dynastic crisis following the death of Cardinal-King Henry of Portugal in 1580. Of the various claimants to the crown, the most powerful was king Phillip II of Spain , who justified his rights to the Portuguese throne by the fact that his mother was a Portuguese royal princess, his maternal grandfather having been King Manuel I of Portugal. Following his proclamation in Santarém, António, Prior of Crato

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4774-429: The region has been a center of intense seismic activity, particularly along its tectonic boundaries on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Terceira Rift. Seismic events although frequent, are usually tectonic or vulco-tectonic in nature, but in general are of low to medium intensities, occasionally punctuated by events of level 5 or greater on the Richter scale . The most severe earthquake was registered in 1757, near Calheta on

4851-526: The revolution, hoping to establish an independent Azores, until operations ceased in 1975. In 1976, the Azores became the Autonomous Region of the Azores ( Região Autónoma dos Açores ), one of the autonomous regions of Portugal , and the subdistricts of the Azores were eliminated. In 2003, the Azores saw international attention when United States President George W. Bush , British Prime Minister Tony Blair , Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar , and Portuguese Prime Minister José Manuel Durão Barroso held

4928-423: The seamounts and submarine volcanoes off the coast of Serreta and in the Pico-São Jorge Channel. The islands have many examples of volcano-built geomorphology including caves and lava tubes (such as the Gruta das Torres , Algar do Carvão , Gruta do Natal , Gruta das Cinco Ribeiras), the coastal lava fields (like the coast of Feteiras , Faial, the Mistério of Prainha or São João on Pico Island) in addition to

5005-410: The service to both New York and Boston throughout their careers. By the time the service ended in 1921, these four ships had transported an estimated total of 58,000 Azorean Portuguese to the United States. The Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834) had strong repercussions in the Azores. In 1829, in Praia da Vitória , the liberals won over the absolutists , making Terceira Island the main headquarters of

5082-414: The smallest, Corvo, at approximately 17 km (7 sq mi). Each of the islands has its own distinct geomorphological characteristics that make them unique: These islands can be divided into three recognizable groups located on the Azores Plateau: São Jorge, Pico and Faial are also collectively called Ilhas do Triângulo ('Islands of the Triangle'). Several sub-surface reefs (particularly

5159-572: The southwest; it is an extensive form crossed by many transform faults running perpendicular to its north–south orientation, that is seismically active and susceptible to volcanism. The Azores features a series of prominent peaks, with Montanha do Pico (also known as "Mount Pico") standing as the highest at 2,351 meters on Pico Island . Other notable elevations include Pico da Vara on São Miguel Island , Pico da Esperança on São Jorge Island , Cabeço Gordo on Faial Island , and Calderia de Santa Barbara on Terceira Island . The Terceira Rift

5236-634: The tallest mountains on the planet. The Azores are located at the seismically active Azores triple junction plate boundary where the North American plate , Eurasian plate and Nubian plate meet. The climate of the Azores is very mild for such a northerly location, being influenced by its distance from the continents and by the passing Gulf Stream . Because of the marine influence, temperatures remain mild year-round. Daytime temperatures normally fluctuate between 16 and 25 °C (61 and 77 °F) depending on season. Temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) or below 3 °C (37 °F) are unknown in

5313-426: The time belonging to Burgundy. There was a revolt against Philip's rule, and disease and hunger became rampant. Isabel appealed to Henry to allow some of the unruly Flemings to settle in the Azores. He granted this and supplied them with means of transport and goods. In 1522, Vila Franca do Campo , then the capital of São Miguel , was devastated by an earthquake and landslide that killed about 5,000 people, and

5390-422: The unoccupied islands started in 1439 with people mainly from the continental provinces of Algarve and Alentejo , in mainland Portugal. São Miguel was first settled in 1449, the settlers – mainly from the Estremadura , Alto Alentejo and Algarve areas of mainland Portugal – under the command of Gonçalo Velho Cabral, who landed at the site of modern-day Povoação . The first reference to the island of São Jorge

5467-426: The volcanic activity has centered, primarily, along the Terceira Rift. From the beginning of the islands' settlement, around the 15th century, there have been 28 registered volcanic eruptions (15 terrestrial and 13 submarine). The last significant volcanic eruption, the Capelinhos volcano ( Vulcão dos Capelinhos ), occurred off the coast of the island of Faial in 1957; the most recent volcanic activity occurred in

5544-554: The world's major tectonic plates (the North American plate , the Eurasian plate and the African plate ), a condition that has translated into the existence of many faults and fractures in this region of the Atlantic. The westernmost islands of the archipelago (Corvo and Flores) are located on the North American plate, while the remaining islands are located within the boundary that divides

5621-533: Was acclaimed in the Azores in 1580 (through his envoy António da Costa) but was expelled from the continent by the Spaniards following the Battle of Alcântara . Yet, through the administration of Cipriano de Figueiredo, governor of Terceira (who continued to govern Terceira in the name of ill-fated, former King Sebastian of Portugal ), the Azoreans resisted Spanish attempts to conquer the islands (including specifically at

5698-635: Was donated to the General Committee of Ponta Delgada , and incorporated into the holdings of the Public Library and Archive (where it now resides). The work was finally published in 1873, with thirty notes by Álvaro Rodrigues de Azevedo, and a prologue by the Dicionário Universal de Português Ilustrado ( Illustrated Universal Dictionary of Portugal ), written by Fernandes Costa. Many partial editions of Saudades da Terra have been re-published by

5775-465: Was his detailed descriptions of the history and geography of the Azores, Madeira , Canary Islands and references to Cape Verde , which he published in his six-part tome Saudades da Terra , as well as Saudades do Céu . He is normally cited in settlement history of the islands of the Azores. Gaspar Frutuoso was born in 1522, on the island of São Miguel , son of Frutuoso Dias, a merchant and rural property-owner, and his wife Isabel Fernandes. Little

5852-552: Was known orally as the site of a typical experience for the period, where three youth were kidnapped by the raiders. In the year of the 1861, this parish did not register any death amongst its people. Caniçal borders the municipal seat of Machico on its western frontier, and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the remaining borders. The roughly escarped terrain is prominent in the western border, where altitudes reach 800 metres above sea level and ravines are semi-active or dry year round. The urbanized and residential lands are located in

5929-407: Was made in 1439, but the date of discovery is unknown. In 1443, the island was already inhabited, but settlement began only after the arrival of the noble Flemish native Willem van der Haegen . Arriving at Topo , São Jorge, where he lived and died, he became known as Guilherme da Silveira to the islanders. João Vaz Corte-Real received the captaincy of the island in 1483. Velas became a town before

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