{"id":8185,"date":"2021-07-12T04:00:31","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T11:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/?p=8185"},"modified":"2021-07-11T15:46:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-11T22:46:36","slug":"azores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/azores\/","title":{"rendered":"Azores"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/h2>\n

The Azores, officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira<\/a>). It 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<\/a>, about 1,500 km (930 mi) northwest of Morocco<\/a>, and about 1,930 km (1,200 mi) southeast of Newfoundland<\/a>, Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Azores within the EU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Its main industries are agriculture, dairy farming, livestock, fishing, and tourism, which is becoming the major service activity in the region. The government of the Azores employs a large percentage of the population directly or indirectly in the service and tertiary sectors. The main city of the Azores is Ponta Delgada<\/a>. The culture, dialect, cuisine, and traditions of the Azorean islands vary considerably, because these remote islands were settled sporadically over a span of two centuries.<\/p>\n

There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores<\/a> and Corvo<\/a>, to the west; Graciosa<\/a>, Terceira<\/a>, S\u00e3o Jorge<\/a>, Pico<\/a>, and Faial<\/a> in the center; and S\u00e3o Miguel<\/a>, Santa Maria<\/a>, and the Formigas Reef<\/a> to the east. They extend for more than 600 km (370 mi) and lie in a northwest\u2013southeast 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<\/a>, 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, which thrust high above the surface of the Atlantic, the Azores are among the tallest mountains on the planet.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ponta Delgada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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<\/a>. Because of the marine influence, temperatures remain mild year-round. Daytime temperatures normally fluctuate between 16 \u00b0C (61 \u00b0F) and 25 \u00b0C (77 \u00b0F) depending on season.[4][5] Temperatures above 30 \u00b0C (86 \u00b0F) or below 3 \u00b0C (37 \u00b0F) are unknown in the major population centers. It is also generally wet and cloudy.<\/p>\n

History:<\/h2>\n

Discovery and Settlement:<\/h3>\n

The islands were known to Europeans in the 14th century, and parts of them appear in the Catalan Atlas<\/a>. In 1427, a captain sailing for Prince Henry the Navigator<\/a>, possibly Gon\u00e7alo Velho<\/a>, may have rediscovered the Azores, but this is not certain. In Thomas Ashe’s<\/a> 1813 work, A History of the Azores, the author identified a Fleming, Joshua Vander Berg of Bruges, who made landfall in the archipelago during a storm on his way to Lisbon. He stated that the Portuguese explored the area and claimed it for Portugal. Other stories note the discovery of the first islands (S\u00e3o Miguel, Santa Maria and Terceira) by sailors in the service of Henry the Navigator, although there are few documents to support the claims.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
1584 Map of the Azores Islands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were no large animals on Santa Maria, so after its discovery and before settlement began, sheep were let loose on the island to supply future settlers with food. Settlement did not take place right away, however. Gon\u00e7alo Velho Cabral gathered resources and settlers for the next three years (1433\u20131436) and sailed to establish colonies, first on Santa Maria and then on S\u00e3o Miguel. Settlers cleared bush and rocks to plant crops: grain, grapevines, sugar cane, and other plants suitable for local use and of commercial value. They brought domesticated animals, such as chickens, rabbits, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs, and built houses and established villages.<\/p>\n

The archipelago was largely settled from mainland Portugal. S\u00e3o Miguel was first settled in 1449, the settlers \u2013 mainly from the Estremadura<\/a>, Alto Alentejo<\/a> and Algarve<\/a> areas of mainland Portugal, under the command of Gon\u00e7alo Velho Cabral \u2013 landed at the site of modern-day Povoa\u00e7\u00e3o<\/a>. Many of the early settlers were Portuguese Sephardi Jews who were banished\/exiled there by the inquisition on mainland Portugal.<\/p>\n

In 1522, Vila Franca do Campo<\/a>, then the capital of the island, was devastated by an earthquake and landslide<\/a> that killed about 5,000 people, and 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 exported wheat, barley, wine and brandy. The goods were sent to Terceira largely because of the proximity of the island.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Prince Henry the Navigator<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The settlement of the unoccupied islands started in 1439 with people mainly from the continental provinces of Algarve and Alentejo. In 1583, Philip II of Spain<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

Iberian Union:<\/h3>\n

The Azores were the last part of the Portuguese Empire to resist King Philip of Spain’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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Battle of Terceira, Part of the War of the Portuguese Succession<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Portuguese control resumed with the end of the Iberian Union<\/a> in 1640, and the beginning of the Portuguese Restoration War<\/a>, not by the professional military, who were occupied with warfare on the Portuguese mainland, but by local people attacking a fortified Castilian garrison.<\/p>\n

Liberal Wars:<\/h3>\n

The Portuguese Civil War (1828\u20131834)<\/a> had strong repercussions in the Azores.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
King-Emperor Pedro IV & I<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1829, in Praia da Vit\u00f3ria<\/a>, 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 Reg\u00eancia) of Maria II of Portugal<\/a> was established.<\/p>\n

Modern Period:<\/h3>\n

In 1931, the Azores (together with Madeira and Portuguese Guinea<\/a>) revolted against the Ditadura Nacional<\/a> and were held briefly by military rebels.<\/p>\n

In 1943, during World War II<\/a>, the Portuguese ruler Ant\u00f3nio de Oliveira Salazar<\/a> leased air and naval bases in the Azores to Great Britain. This was a key turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic<\/a>, 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<\/a>. This helped them to protect convoys and to hunt hostile German U-boats<\/a>. In 1944, 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 a joint American and Portuguese venture. Lajes Field continues to support the American and Portuguese Armed Forces.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lajes Field<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Following the Carnation Revolution of 1974<\/a>, which deposed the Estado Novo<\/a> dictatorship in Lisbon, Portugal and its territories across the world entered into a period of great political uncertainty. The Azorean Liberation Front<\/a> attempted to take advantage of this instability immediately after the revolution, hoping to establish an independent Azores, until operations ceased in 1975.<\/p>\n

In 1976, the Azores became the Autonomous Region of the Azores (Regi\u00e3o Aut\u00f3noma dos A\u00e7ores), one of the autonomous regions of Portugal, and the sub-districts of the Azores were eliminated. In 2003, the Azores saw international attention when United States President George W. Bush<\/a>, British Prime Minister Tony Blair<\/a>, Spanish Prime Minister Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Aznar<\/a> and Portuguese Prime Minister Jos\u00e9 Manuel Dur\u00e3o Barroso<\/a> held a summit there days before the commencement of the Iraq War<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lajes Summit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Geography:<\/h2>\n

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 in an area approximately 600 kilometres (373 miles) wide. The islands of the Azores emerged from what is called the Azores Plateau.<\/p>\n

The nine islands that compose the archipelago occupy a surface area of 2,346 km2 (906 sq mi), that includes both the main islands and many islets located in their vicinities. They range in surface area from the largest, S\u00e3o Miguel, at 759 km2 (293 sq mi) to the smallest, Corvo, at approximately 17 km2 (7 sq mi). Each of the islands has its own distinct geomorphological characteristics that make them unique.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Map of the Azores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These islands can be divided into three recognizable groups located on the Azores Plateau:<\/p>\n

The Eastern Group (Grupo Oriental)<\/a> of S\u00e3o Miguel, Santa Maria and Formigas Islets
\nThe Central Group (Grupo Central)<\/a> of Terceira, Graciosa, S\u00e3o Jorge, Pico and Faial
\nThe Western Group (Grupo Ocidental)<\/a> of Flores and Corvo.<\/p>\n

Economy:<\/h2>\n

In order of importance, the main sectors of employment of the Azores are services, agriculture, fishery, industry and tourism.<\/p>\n

Transportation:<\/h2>\n

Each of the nine islands has an airport, although the majority are airfields rather than airports. The commercial terminals in Ponta Delgada, Horta, Vila do Porto and Santa Cruz das Flores are operated by ANA \u2013 Aeroportos de Portugal<\/a>, a public entity that oversees the operations of airports across Portugal. The remaining, except for Lajes Field<\/a>, are operated by the Regional Government. Lajes is a military airbase, as well as a commercial airport, and is operated by the Portuguese Armed Forces in conjunction with the United States.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ponta Delgada Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The airports are:<\/p>\n

Santa Maria: Santa Maria Airport (LPAZ)<\/a>
\nS\u00e3o Miguel: Jo\u00e3o Paulo II Airport (LPPD)<\/a>
\nTerceira: Lajes Airport (LPLA)<\/a>
\nS\u00e3o Jorge: S\u00e3o Jorge Airport (LPSJ)<\/a>
\nPico: Pico Airport (LPPI)<\/a>
\nFaial: Horta Airport (LPHR)<\/a>
\nGraciosa: Graciosa Airport (LPGR)<\/a>
\nFlores: Flores Airport (LPFL)<\/a>
\nCorvo: Corvo Airport (LPCR)<\/a><\/p>\n

The Azores has had a long history of marine transport to overcome distances and establish inter-community contacts and trade. Passenger traffic to the main islands (S\u00e3o Miguel, Santa Maria, Terceira and Faial) began in the 17th century, and between the 18th\u201319th century, the Pico Yacht controlled the lucrative summer traffic season.<\/p>\n

After 1871, the Insulana Shipping Company was the only entity responsible for regular traffic between the islands (except Corvo), Madeira and the United States. Finally, cargo and passenger transportation ceased in the 1970s, and the ships were sold or converted into tuna fishing boats. For the next 20 years, commercial maritime service between the islands ceased (except between Faial-Pico and Lajes das Flores-Vila do Corvo).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Port of Horta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Transma\u00e7or<\/a> (Transportes Mar\u00edtimos A\u00e7orianos, Lda.) was founded in 1987. The shipping company operates four to six daily connections between Horta and Madalena throughout the year, using its small fleet of ships, in addition to inter-island connections between Faial, Pico, S\u00e3o Jorge and Terceira during the summer months. New initiatives began in the late 1990s: the catamaran Iapetos began services, followed by Lady of Mann and Golfinho Azul.<\/p>\n

Flag of the Azores:<\/h2>\n

The Flag of the Azores is the regional flag of the Portuguese Autonomous Region of the Azores. It is a rectangular bicolor with a field unevenly divided into blue on the hoist, and white on the fly.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Flag of the Azores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was established on the 10th April 1979 by the Regional Assembly of the Azores, being based in the National Flag of Portugal used between 1830 and 1910.<\/p>\n

The field is vertically divided into two colors: blue on the hoist side, and white on the fly. The color division is made in a way that blue spans 2\u20445 of the length and the remaining 3\u20445 are filled by white (ratio 2\u20133).<\/p>\n

Positioned over the border between the blue and the white fields are nine five-sided golden stars in a semi-circular arch over a naturalistic designed golden goshawk. The top left canton of the flag contains the Portuguese Shield.<\/p>\n

Historically, the Azores and its flag are deeply connected to the Flag of Portugal used between 1830 and 1910.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
1830 – 1910 Flag of Portugal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 1976 Constitution of Portugal established the present Autonomous Region of the Azores. In 1979, the Regional Assembly of the Azores established the symbols of the region, including the Regional Flag. The Azorean Flag came as an adaption of the Portuguese flag used from 1830 until 1910, at the same time being also inspired by the autonomist flags of the late 19th century.<\/p>\n

Blue and white were traditional colors used by the Portuguese nation and also represent the Portuguese Constitutional Monarchy borne in the Azores.<\/p>\n

The nine stars symbolize the archipelago’s nine islands.<\/p>\n

The name of the archipelago comes from the Portuguese word a\u00e7or, meaning goshawk<\/a>, because it was supposed to be a common bird at the time of the discovery. However these birds never existed on the islands, they actually were a local subspecies of the buzzard (Buteo buteo<\/em><\/a>), that was erroneously identified as goshawks by the first explorers.<\/p>\n

The shield of Portugal present in the top left corner of the flag represents the Portuguese patriotism of the Azorean people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By decree of the 18th October 1830, the Regency Council established a new National Flag, whose field would be blue and white, with the Portuguese Coat of arms in the middle. The blue and white had already been adopted as the national colours of Portugal in 1821, with the justification that those were the heraldic colours of the nation since Count Henry of Portugal. At that time they were however only applied to the national cockade and not to the flag, which remained white with the Portuguese coat of arms in the middle. The first example of the new blue and white flag was embroidered by Mary II herself and raised for the first time at the Fortress of Angra. Initially, the new flag was only used at the Azores islands, which were then the only parts of the Portuguese territory controlled by the Liberals. The new Portuguese flag was so born with a close connection to the Azores.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[66,59,26,5,6,7,29,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8185"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}