Azores
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Azores Autonomous Region
Região Autónoma dos Açores
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| Motto: "Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos"(Portuguese) ("Rather die free than live subjugated") (English) |
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| Anthem: A Portuguesa (national) Hino dos Açores (local) |
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| Capital | Ponta Delgada1 Angra do Heroísmo2 Horta3 |
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| Largest city | Ponta Delgada | |||||
| Official languages | Portuguese | |||||
| Ethnic groups | Portuguese |
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| Government | Autonomous region | |||||
| - | President | Carlos César | ||||
| Establishment | ||||||
| - | Settled | 1439 | ||||
| - | Autonomy | 1976 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 2,346 km2 (n/a) 911 sq mi |
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| Population | ||||||
| - | 2006 estimate | 243,018 (n/a) | ||||
| - | 2001 census | 241,763 | ||||
| - | Density | 104/km2 (n/a) 266/sq mi |
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| Currency | Euro (€)4 (EUR) |
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| Time zone | UTC-1 | |||||
| Internet TLD | .pt | |||||
| Calling code | 351 | |||||
| 1 | Location of the Presidency of the Regional Government (). | |||||
| 2 | Location of the Supreme Court (). | |||||
| 3 | Location of the Legislative Assembly (). | |||||
| 4 | Prior to 2002: Portuguese escudo | |||||
The Azores (Portuguese: Açores pronounced [ɐˈsoɾɨʃ]) 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.
The nine major Azorean islands and the eight small Formigas extend for more than 600 km (373 mi) and lie in a northwest-southeast direction. The vast extent 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, although 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.
Because these once uninhabited, remote islands were settled sporadically over a span of two centuries, their culture, dialect, cuisine and traditions vary considerably from island to island. Farming and fishing are key industries that support the Azorean economy. 240,000 Azoreans live within the archipelago’s 868 square miles.
Although 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 discovery, in fact the bird never existed on the islands. 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.
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[edit] History
[edit] Discovery
The islands were known in the fourteenth century and parts of them can be seen, for example, in the Atlas Catalan. In 1427, one of the captains sailing for Henry the Navigator, possibly Gonçalo Velho, rediscovered the Azores, but this is not certain. A History of the Azores by Thomas Ashe written in 1813 marks the discovery by Joshua Vander Berg of Bruges in Flanders.[1] Vander Berg was said to have landed there during a storm on his way to Lisbon.[1] Ashe then claims that the Portuguese left to explore the area and claim it for Portugal shortly after.[1]
[edit] Settlement
The settlement 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 hanged 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) and were returned to Portuguese control with the end of the Iberian Union, not by the professional military, who were used in the Restoration War in the mainland, but by local people attacking a fortified Castilian garrison (guarnición).
[edit] Portuguese Civil War
The Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834) 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.
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 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).
- Angra do Heroísmo 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.
In 1943, during the Second World War, The Portuguese dictator, António de Oliveira Salazar, leased bases in the Azores to the British, despite his previous collaboration with Germany.[2] 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.
In 1944, American forces 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 and is currently known as Lajes Field. This base is 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 northeast corner of the island. This Air Force base is a joint American and Portuguese venture. Lajes Field continues to support United States and Portuguese military operations. During the Cold War, the United States 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 United States Army operates a small fleet of military ships in the harbour of Praia da Vitória, three kilometres (2 mi) southeast 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.
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.
[edit] Politics
Since becoming a Portuguese autonomous region, the executive branch of the regional authority has been located in Ponta Delgada, the legislative branch in Horta, and the judicial branch in Angra do Heroísmo. The current president of the regional government is Carlos César.
Azorean politics is dominated by the two largest Portuguese political parties, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Socialist Party (PS), the latter holding a majority in the Regional Legislative Assembly. The Democratic and Social Center / People's Party (CDS/PP), the Left Bloc (BE), the Unitarian Democratic Coalition (CDU) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM) are 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.
[edit] Municipalities
The Azores are divided into nineteen municipalities (concelhos); each municipality is further divided into parishes (freguesias). The Azores have a total of 156 parishes.
[edit] Cities
There are five 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).
[edit] Geography and environment
| Island | Area (sq.km.) | Area (sq.mi.) |
|---|---|---|
| São Miguel Island | 759 km2 | 293 sq mi |
| Pico Island | 446 km2 | 172 sq mi |
| Terceira Island | 403 km2 | 156 sq mi |
| São Jorge Island | 246 km2 | 95 sq mi |
| Faial Island | 173 km2 | 67 sq mi |
| Flores Island | 143 km2 | 55 sq mi |
| Santa Maria Island | 97 km2 | 37 sq mi |
| Graciosa Island | 62 km2 | 24 sq mi |
| Corvo Island | 17 km2 | 7 sq mi |
The archipelago is spread out in the area between 37° N and the parallels of latitude that pass through the Lisbon area (39° 43' / 39° 55' N), giving it a tepid, oceanic, subtropical climate, with mild annual oscillations. The average annual rainfall increases from east to west, and it ranges from 700 to 1600 annual millimetres (27.6–63 in) on average, reaching 6,300 millimetres (250 in) on Mount Pico, the highest Portuguese mountain at 2,351 m/7,713 ft. The Azores high, an area of high atmospheric pressure, is named after the islands.
The Formigas (the Portuguese word for "ants") islands (also known as Dollabarat Reefs) have rich maritime fauna, including exotic species such as the black coral and manta rays, sharks, and sea turtles.
The archipelago lies in the Palearctic ecozone, forming a unique biome that includes the macaronesian subtropical laurissilva, with many endemic species of plants. Even though the Azores look very green and sometimes wild, the vegetation has been extremely altered. Most of the original laurisilva has been wiped out for its valuable wood (for tools, buildings, boats, fire wood, etc) and to clear land for agriculture. Many cultivated places (which are traditionally dedicated to pasture or to growing colocasia, potatoes, maize and other crops) have now been abandoned, especially as a result of emigration. Consequently, some "invasive" plants have filled these deserted and disturbed lands. The two most common of these exotic species are Pittosporum undulatum and Acacia melanoxylon. They are usually restricted to ancient agricultural land and, fortunately, only rarely penetrate into undisturbed native vegetation. The main loss is in the lowlands (below 400 metres), where virtually all laurisilva was eradicated.
A few Persea indica and Picconia azorica still survive in some places, but appear to be extremely vulnerable. Only Myrica faya seems to have survived human impact quite well, and it is commonly found in hedges or among exotic trees. More recent introductions could become a serious threat, like Leptospermum scoparium which has the ability to colonize the still nearly-untouched medium-altitude vegetation (Ilex, Myrsine africana, Erica, etc).
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 to be a symbol of the archipelago and propagate them along roadsides, helping them to escape into the wild. Cryptomeria, the Japanese cedar, is a conifer extensively grown for its timber; many seedlings can be found in the last remnants of medium-altitude native vegetation.
The nine islands have a total area of 2,346 km2 (906 sq mi). Their individual areas range 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 larger than Malta (composed of three islands), São Miguel Island alone being twice as large.
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.
[edit] Time zone
The Azores are located in the UTC-1 N time zone (Cape Verde Time, CVT). However, the Azores observe daylight saving time, while Cape Verde does not. The Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) offset is -0100 (CVT/CVST) / 0000 (CVDT). The relevant coordinates are +3744−02540.
[edit] 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 and all of Portugal.
The last volcano to erupt was the Capelinhos Volcano (Vulcão dos Capelinhos) in 1957, in the western part of Faial Island, increasing the size of the island by 2.4 km, but it's estimated that the great part of it will be washed away in next 20 years. Santa Maria Island is the oldest Azorean island, formed 4.8 million years ago, and is the only island in the Azores with an abundance of sediments where marine fossils have been discovered.
The Gruta das Torres, Algar do Carvão, Gruta do Natal, Gruta das Cinco Ribeiras are some of the many caves of the Azores.
[edit] Demographics
On 31 December 2002, the Azores' population was 238,767 at a density of 106 inhabitants per square kilometer (274.5/sq mi).
| Island | Population (2002) | Main city/town |
Municipalities | |
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| (% of total) | ||||
| São Miguel Island | 130,154 | 54.50 | Ponta Delgada | 6 |
| Terceira Island | 54,996 | 23.00 | Angra do Heroísmo | 2 |
| Faial Island | 14,934 | 6.25 | Horta | 1 |
| Pico Island | 14,579 | 6.11 | Madalena | 3 |
| São Jorge Island | 9,522 | 3.99 | Velas | 2 |
| Santa Maria Island | 5,490 | 2.30 | Vila do Porto | 1 |
| Graciosa Island | 4,708 | 1.97 | Santa Cruz da Graciosa | 1 |
| Flores Island | 3,949 | 1.65 | Santa Cruz das Flores | 2 |
| Corvo Island | 435 | 0.18 | Vila do Corvo | 1 |
| Total | 238,767 | Total | 19 | |
[edit] Population
The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Azores are Portuguese, descendants of 15th century immigrants from Algarve and from Minho, with a minor Dutch admixture (particularly from Flanders). The nature of the economy dictated that African slavery never became common in the Azores, although the islands sometimes served as a waypoint for ships carrying African slaves.[3]
Since the 17th century, many Azoreans have emigrated, mainly to Brazil, the United States and Canada.[4] Southeastern Massachusetts, especially the cities of New Bedford and Fall River, was a primary destination for Azorean emigrants.[5]
Traditional festivals from May through September Holy Ghost Festivals, or Espírito Santo Festivals, are very important to the Azorean people. The festivals are rooted in medieval traditions and typically held on all the islands from May to September, including lively parades and large feasts. As part of the tradition, soup and bread are handed out to revelers during these events. On Terceira and other islands, decorative houses called Imperios are the staging points for the feeding of the masses.
May marks The Festival of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres (Lord Holy Christ of Miracles) in Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel. The largest religious event in the Azores is the Festa do Senhor Santo Cristo takes place on the 5th Sunday after Easter. Pilgrims from all over the world unite to parade behind the image of Christ on a three-hour procession along the flower decorated streets of the city. The Sanjoaninas Festivities in Angra do Heroísmo in Terceira are held in June honoring S. Antonio, S. Pedro and St. João, in a large religious celebration. The traditional bullfights in the bullring are ongoing, as is the running of bulls in the streets. The festival of Nossa Senhora de Lourdes, (Our Lady of Lourdes), patron saint to the Whalers, begins in Lajes on Pico on the last Sunday the August and runs through the week - Whalers Week. It is marked by social and cultural events connected to the tradition of whale hunting. The Festa das Vindimas, (Wine Harvest Festival), takes place during the first week of September and is a century old custom ways by the people of Pico.
In Corvo the people celebrate their patron saints Nossa Senhora dos Milagres, (Our Lady of Miracles), on August 15 every year in addition to the festivals of the Divine Holy Spirit. The Festival da Maré de Agosto (August Sea Festival), takes place every year beginning on 15 August in Praia Formosa on Santa Maria. And, the Semana do Mar (Sea Week), dedicated almost exclusively to water sports, takes place in August in the city of Horta, on Faial. In the Azores, Mardi Gras is known as “Carnaval”, a four-day celebration starting in February. Parades and pageants are heart of the Carnaval festivities. There is lively music, colorful costumes, hand-made masks, and floats.
[edit] Population genetics
As in continental Portugal, the most frequent mtDNA haplogroup in the Azores is H (45.2%), followed by U (16.7%), T (10.1%), K (6.5%), pre-HV clades (5.6%) and a smaller sub-Saharan L haplogroups frequency (3.4%) than in Madeira as the number of sub-Saharan slaves in the Açores never reached the proportions that took place in Madeira.[6]
Concerning the males Y-Dna haplogroups, R1b (particularly R1b3) was found to be the most dominant Y chromosomal lineage in the Azores, covering about 60% of the Y chromosomal lineages. The high frequency of this haplogroup is typical in all West European populations, reflecting a cline and likely continuity of the Paleolithic gene pool in Europe. Haplogroups I and G, also characteristic markers for many different West European populations, were found in the Azores at frequencies above 5%. Together with R1b, haplogroups J (13%) and E1b1b (9%) comprise about 80% of the Y-chromosomal gene pool in the Azores. Haplogroups J and E1b1b consist of lineages with differential distribution within Middle East, North Africa and Europe. The typical berber haplogroup E1b1b (M81) was found like in continental Portugal at a frequency of 5-6%.[7]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Ashe, Thomas (1813). History of the Azores, or. Western islands. Oxford University.
- ^ The Role of Portugal - co-opting Nazi Gold, Jonathan Petropoulos, Dimensions, , Vol 11, No 1, 1997
- ^ Melvin Eugene Page and Penny M. Sonnenburg. ""Colonialism: An International, Social, Cultural, and Political Encyclopedia"". http://books.google.com/books?id=qFTHBoRvQbsC&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=azores+slavery&source=web&ots=ZXqXeypRtj&sig=q6bUaDszPeMXjjn6V2AdbKcYhTY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA42,M1. Retrieved on 2008-12-16.
- ^ Azores Islands
- ^ http://www.ojornal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20087125&BRD=2677&PAG=461&dept_id=543384&rfi=6
- ^ Mitochondrial portraits of the Azores and Açores archipelagos witness different genetic pools of its settlers, Brehm et al. 2003
- ^ Y-chromosome lineages from Portugal, Madeira and Açores record elements of Sephardim and Berber ancestry, Goncalves et al. 2005
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Azores |
- Wikimedia Atlas of the Azores
- Azores travel guide from Wikitravel
- http://www.azores.gov.pt/ — Website of the Azores Regional Government
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