The islands are divided into three groups, based on their geographic distribution. In the east São
Miguel and Santa Maria form the Grupo Oriental - the eastern group, while the Grupo Central consists
of Terceira, São Jorge, Graçiosa, Pico and Faial. Corvo and Flores form the Grupo Occidental, the
western group. The minimum distance between islands is 6km (between Pico and Faial) and the
maximum, about 600km, is between Santa Maria and Corvo.

The highest mountain peak in Portugal is that of Pico (2 351m) on the island of the same name. All
the islands are of volcanic origin and the predominant rock is therefore basalt. Hence also the grey-
brown beaches. The only island with white beaches is Santa Maria. Their volcanic past is still clearly
visible on all the islands except Santa Maria and in the form of the typical conical hills, many caldera
lakes and remaining hot springs. The coastlines vary from steep and rocky to low and marked with
many lovely beaches, the majority of which fly the EU Blue Flag to cerify that they are safe, clean, well
 cared for and have all the necessary amenities.

GOVERNMENT

The Azores became an Autonomous Region of Portugal in 1976, after the 1975 Portuguese revolution,
and is as such responsible for most of its own governing. The Region has its own President, based in
Ponta Delgada, São Miguel. This is also the seat of the Regional Government. The Regional Assembly
 sits in Terceira, where the Minister of the Republic, who represents the Portuguese Government in the
 Azores, has his residency.

CLIMATE

Because of its situation, the Archipelago has a moderate maritime climate characterised by agreeable
temperatures which do not vary all that much during the year. Humidity is high, but barely uncomfortably
so, and averages at around 77% per year. The rainfall is regular and spread over the whole year, although
the winters are somewhat wetter. Temperatures range between about 13ºC in winter to around 25ºC in
summer, although lows as low as 6ºC and highs as high as 30ºC do occur. The ocean temperature
ranges between 14ºC in winter and 24ºC in summer, mostly because the Azores lie in a branch of the
Gulf Stream. There is also a North Atlantic high pressure system which is called the Azorean High,
because it is usually stationed over or near the islands in summer.

Most of the islands can get fairly misty at times, hence the nickname of Misty Islands, or Ilhas
Brúmosas. It is the climate, the regular, soft rain and the mists that give the islands their lush, verdant
appearance and make it hard to believe that one is actually in the middle of the notorious North Atlantic
Ocean. Even the waves washing the island shores are seldom very high or wild.

POPULATION & ECONOMICS

At the time I was there (2000 - 2001), the Azores had a population of around 260 000, the majority
(53%) of whom lived on the main island of São Miguel.  Corvo at that time had a population of less than
400. Ponta Delgada, the largest city in the archipelago, had about 70 000 residents.

The islands' economy is still mainly agricultural, although fishing remains a major economic activity.
Dairy farming is by far the strongest of the agricultural sectors. Produce include pineapples, tobacco,
maize, potatoes, sugar beet, passion fruit, kiwi fruit, bananas, tea,(São Miguel is the only place in
Europe where tea is grown), chicory, wheat, yams, and all the standard vegetable crops. Oranges are
no longer as important an export crop as at the end of the 19th century. Most of the islands have
vineyards as well and some excellent wines are made in the archipelago. The verdelho of Pico is noted
 and was a favourite of Czar Nicholas II of Russia.

Fishing is still a very important activity and the tuna caught in Azorean waters is exported to many
European countries. Because of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, the archipelago boast a staggering
variety of fish species, as well as most of the main species of game fish. The islands are also noted for
their resident dolphin populations and lie on the migratory route of whales, especially sperm whales.
Whaling was an important industry in the Central Group in particular until whaling was banned in the
latter half of the 20th century. Today whale watching forms an important part of the tourism industry of
the islands.

Tourism is only just starting to play a more important role in the Azorean economy. At the time I left
ten more hotels were being planned or under construction and one hotel group was already flying in 600
Swedish tourists per week. The Azores is a popular tourist destination for British, German, Scandinavian
and of course mainland Portuguese tourists especially. Many Americans and Canadians, most of them
relatives or descendants of Azoreans, also visit the islands for the main religious festivities and the
carnival in spring. Nowadays there is more than enough accommodation available in establishments
which range from rooming houses to five-star hotels and at prices that will suit every pocket.

HISTORY

There is some uncertainty as to exactly when the islands were first discovered, and some very old
maps show what seem to be indications of the islands. The first recorded visit, though, is credited to
that of the Portuguese navigator Diego de Silves, who discovered the islands of Santa Maria and São
Miguel in around 1427. On the 15th of August 1432 (the Day of the Ascension of Our Lady) Gonçalo
Vasco Cabral landed on the island of Santa Maria with a few crew members. The first settlement on
the island was the village of Praia dos Lobos, founded in 1439.

Columbus, on his return from the West Indies in 1493, stopped off at Santa Maria to attend mass in
the chapel of Our Lady of the Ascension. He was at first mistaken for a pirate and arrested, but later
released once he managed to convince the Governor who he was.

São Miguel was first settled in 1444, the settlers -- from mainly the Estremadura, Alto Alentejo and
Algarve areas of Portugal, and France and under the command of  Gonçalo Velho Cabral -- landing at
the site of modern-day Povoação . In 1522 Vila Franca do Campo, then the capital of the island, was
devastated by a landslide caused by an earthquake, and the capital was moved to Ponta Delgada. The
 town of Vila Franca was rebuilt on the original site and today is a thriving fishing and yachting port.
Ponta Delgada received its city status in 1546.

The third island to be discovered was Terceira (hence the name, which means "Third"), at first called
the Island of Jesus Christ. Settlement was under the command of the Flemish nobleman Jácome de
Bruges in 1450. An area of 6km² of its capital, Angra Heroísmo, was included in the UNESCO List of
World Patrimony in 1983. An earthquake on January 1, 1980, destroyed a large part of the old city,
but the buildings were restored, using the original materials as far as possible. Today Terceira is still
the most important of the islands after São Miguel.

It is believed that sailors from neighbouring Terceira, about 31 nautical miles away, discovered the
island of Graciosa circa 1450. Settlement was under the command of Vasco Gil Sodré. Columbus's
brother-in-law, Pedro Correia da Cunha, was later granted captaincy of the northern part of Graciosa.
The first town on the island, Santa Cruz, received its status  in 1486.

Graciosa had many distinguished guests over the centuries: during the French Revolution the French
writer Chateaubriand stopped over here in his flight to America; the famous Portuguese poet Almeida
Garrett, and Prince Albert of Monaco, who led several oceanographic expeditions here aboard his yacht
Hirondelle in the 19th century.

São Jorge is first mentioned in 1439, but the actual date of the discovery is unknown. The island was
already inhabited by 1443., although active settlement only began with the arrival of the Flemish
nobleman Wilhelm van der Haegen, who became known as Guilherme da Silveira to the islanders.
Velas became a town just before the end of the 15th century.

Today São Jorge is especially famous for its delicious cheese, which is exported to Europe and the
United States. 

Pico was first settled in about 1460 at Lajes. The Verdelho do Pico is a famous red wine made here
and loved by the czars of Russia. Later sperm whaling became a major industry. São Roque achieved
its townhood in 1542, and Madalena in 1723.

Faial, originally marked as Insule de Venture on old maps, was already settled by 1460. In 1468 the
Flemish nobleman Josse Van Huerter was granted jurisdiction over the island to which he had brought
many of his countrymen and the area where they settled soon became known as Vale dos Flamengos
(Valley of the Flemish). Faial suffered one of the last major volcanic eruptions when in 1957 the volcano
at Capelinhos erupted, adding 2,42 km² of land to the western end of the island. The volcano remained
active for 13 months and spewed millions of tonnes of black ash on the island. No lives were lost and
there was minimal damage to property.

Flores, the Island of Flowers, was discovered in 1452 or thereabouts by Diego de Tieve and his son
João de Tieve and was initially known as St Thomas and St Iria. The many yellow flowers (cubres),
however, led to the name being changed. The island was settled by  Wilhelm van der Haegen in 1470,
but the distance from the other islands and the lack of transport for the pastel dyes made him abandon
the island to go to  São Jorge instead. The town of Fajã Grande on the island has the distinction of
being the westernmost town in all Europe.

Corvo, with a surface area of only 17 km², is the smallest of the islands and was discovered by de
Tieve and his son around 1452. The island was long known as Insula Corvi Marini. This tiny island
supplied a multitude of whalermen for the New England whalers and these Corvians were renowned for
their bravery.

Over the years many Azoreans left their island shores to seek fame and fortune in  countries like the
USA, Canada and others. They never really managed to leave their island roots behind, though, and try
 to return as often as possible to renew family ties and to bring their children to their ancestral homes. 

The Azores have long been a special favourite among yachtsmen, and the marinas of Horta (Faial) and
the Clube Naval in Ponta Delgada are usually hosts to a multitude of yachts from all over the globe.