SรO MIGUEL ISLAND
37° 47' N; 25° 30' W
Sรฃo Miguel is the largest of the islands in the Azores archipelago and the largest of all the islands within the territory of Portugal. With a surface area of 748.82 km², it measures 64.7 kilometers in length and 8–15 km in width and has a population of 137,699 inhabitants (2011).
It is divided into 6 municipalities and 65 parishes. The municipalities are:
Lagoa,
Nordeste,
Ponta Delgada,
Povoaรงรฃo,
Ribeira Grande,
Vila Franca do Campo.
Ajuda da Bretanha; Arrifes; Candelรกria, Capelas, Covoada;Fajรฃ de Baixo;
Fajรฃ de Cima; Fenais da Luz; Feteiras; Ginetes; Livramento; Mosteiros;
Pilar da Bretanha; Relva; Remรฉdios; Santa Bรกrbara;Santa Clara;
Santo Antรณnio; Sรฃo Josรฉ; Sรฃo Pedro; Sรฃo Roque; Sรฃo Sebastiรฃo;
Sรฃo Vicente Ferreira; Sete Cidades.
History
In 1427, Sรฃo Miguel became the second of the islands discovered by Gonรงalo Velho Cabral to be settled by colonists from continental Portugal. This date is uncertain, as it is believed that the island was discovered between 1426 and 1437 and inscribed in portolans from the middle of the 15th century. Its discovery was later recorded by Father Gaspar Frutuoso in the seminal history of the Azores, Saudades da Terra, as he began: "This island of Sรฃo Miguel where...we are, is mountainous and covered in ravines, and it was, when we discovered it, covered in trees...due to its humidity, with its water showers and ravines warm with sun..."It was sometime after the initial settlement of Povoaรงรฃo Velha (on the southeastern coast) that (between 1439 and 1444) a volcanic eruption occurred in the crater of Sete Cidades (then uninhabited). There are no records of the precise date, but Gaspar Frutuoso noted that navigators returning to Sรฃo Miguel (soon after its discovery) encountered the western part of the island completely changed and tree trunks and pumice stone floating in the waters around the island. After docking in Povoaรงรฃo, the settlers reported feeling tremors and aftershocks; "...those settlers living in their earthen holes of straw and hay, heard almost within a year a great loud noise, roars and snorts that came from the earth with large tremors still proceeded the subversion and fire from the peak that had disappeared."
In the early 15th century, Prince Henry the Navigator first authorized the settlement of the Azores, and many settlers from the historical provinces of Estremadura, Alto Alentejo, Algarve and Madeira travelled to Sรฃo Miguel, under the Carta Rรฉgia (a decree of the regency). The fertile soils and temperate climate attracted settlers from other countries, notably French and Flemish people. Cultural minorities such as Sephardic Jewish New Christians are believed to have comprised as much as 20% of the island's population (i.e., many had surnames such as 'Pereira, Pimentel, Dias, Menezes, Oliveira, Nunes, Mendes, Rodrigues, Pinto etc.), and some Moors were exiled to the island during the inquisition. Its geographic position and fertile soils permitted rapid economic development. The establishment of a military garrison made the island an obligatory port-of-call in the African and Asian commercial trade, while the export of sugar, and later orchil (a dye exported to Flanders for the making of cloth) stabilized the island's export trade.
The first capital of the island was Vila Franca do Campo, which was devastated by the 1522 Vila Franca earthquake and landslides. The tragedy helped to elevate Ponta Delgada to the administrative and economic status of capital and business centre from 1546.
During the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580, the people from Sรฃo Miguel won the naval Battle of Vila Franca against a French squadron that supported the claims of the pretender Antรณnio, Prior of Crato.
With the Portuguese Restoration War (1640), the island regained its position as a commercial center, establishing new contacts in Brazil, which was heavily colonized during this period. Some of the island's historic buildings, including mansions and churches, date from this period; the island's architectural expansion and development came from revenues from the export of oranges, mainly to Great Britain.
In 1831, during the Liberal Wars, following the landing of troops loyal to Queen Maria II in Nordeste (sent by the future Duke of Terceira), a resistance to the Absolutist regime on the Island was organized. In 1832, this militia declared allegiance to the Charter (constitutional monarchy) and Queen Maria, forming a contingent that sailed to the continent where they were involved in the liberation of Porto.
After the Liberal Wars, the period of Devourism allowed the economy to flourish, and the port of Ponta Delgada expanded to new crops such as tea, pineapple, and tobacco. The development of the fishing industry, cultivation of food staples, and expansion of the dairy industry permitted the growth of many of the population centres on the island.
Following the Carnation Revolution, the island received the seat of the Presidency of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, located in Ponta Delgada. Its economic, social, and political importance is growing within the archipelago.
INDEX
Search in Sรฃo Miguel Island & Azores
- Must-see attractions
- ๐๐๐๐ Lagoa das Sete Cidades
- ๐๐๐๐ Terra Nostra Park
- ๐๐๐๐ Vista do Rei Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Pico do Ferro Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Grota do Inferno Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Cerrado das Freiras Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Parque da Ribeira dos Caldeirรตes
- ๐๐๐๐ Ponta do Sossego
- ๐๐๐๐ Ponta da Ferraria
- ๐๐๐๐ Ponta da Madrugada
- ๐๐๐๐ Salto do Cavalo Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Ponta do Arnel (Lighthouse & Viewpoint)
- Municipality and Parishes
- ๐๐๐๐ LAGOA MUNICIPALITY
- ๐๐ Parish of Nossa Senhora do Rosรกrio (Municipality of Lagoa)
- ๐๐ Parish of รgua de Pau & Caloura (Municipality of Lagoa)
- ๐๐ Parish of Ribeira Chรฃ & Pisรฃo Viewpoint (Municipality of Lagoa)
- ๐๐ Parish of Santa Cruz (Municipality of Lagoa)
- Municipality and Parishes
- ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ NORDESTE MUNICIPALITY
- ๐ผ๐ผ Parish of Achada (Municipality of Nordeste)
- ๐ผ๐ผ Parish of Achadinha (Municipality of Nordeste)
- ๐ผ๐ผ Parish of Nordeste (Municipality of Nordeste)
- Municipality and Parishes
- ๐๐๐๐ PONTA DELGADA MUNICIPALITY
- ๐๐ PONTA DELGADA CITY - Introduction, Squares & Streets
- ๐๐ PONTA DELGADA CITY - The Pineapple & Gardens
- ๐๐ PONTA DELGADA CITY - Churches & Museums
- ๐๐ Parish of Sete Cidades (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Ajuda da Bretanha (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Capelas (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Fenais da Luz (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Feteiras (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Ginetes (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Mosteiros (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Pilar da Bretanha (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Relva (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Remรฉdios (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Santa Bรกrbara (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Sรฃo Roque (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Livramento (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐๐๐ AZORES ๐๐๐๐
- ๐๐๐ SรO MIGUEL ISLAND
- ๐๐๐๐ Lagoa das Sete Cidades
- ๐๐๐๐ Terra Nostra Park
- ๐๐๐๐ Vista do Rei Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Pico do Ferro Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Grota do Inferno Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Cerrado das Freiras Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Parque da Ribeira dos Caldeirรตes
- ๐๐๐๐ Ponta do Sossego
- ๐๐๐๐ Ponta da Ferraria
- ๐๐๐๐ Ponta da Madrugada
- ๐๐๐๐ Salto do Cavalo Viewpoint
- ๐๐๐๐ Ponta do Arnel (Lighthouse & Viewpoint)
- Municipality and Parishes
- ๐๐๐๐ LAGOA MUNICIPALITY
- ๐๐ Parish of Nossa Senhora do Rosรกrio (Municipality of Lagoa)
- ๐๐ Parish of รgua de Pau & Caloura (Municipality of Lagoa)
- ๐๐ Parish of Ribeira Chรฃ & Pisรฃo Viewpoint (Municipality of Lagoa)
- ๐๐ Parish of Santa Cruz (Municipality of Lagoa)
- Municipality and Parishes
- ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ NORDESTE MUNICIPALITY
- ๐ผ๐ผ Parish of Achada (Municipality of Nordeste)
- ๐ผ๐ผ Parish of Achadinha (Municipality of Nordeste)
- ๐ผ๐ผ Parish of Nordeste (Municipality of Nordeste)
- Municipality and Parishes
- ๐๐๐๐ PONTA DELGADA MUNICIPALITY
- ๐๐ PONTA DELGADA CITY - Introduction, Squares & Streets
- ๐๐ PONTA DELGADA CITY - The Pineapple & Gardens
- ๐๐ PONTA DELGADA CITY - Churches & Museums
- ๐๐ Parish of Sete Cidades (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Ajuda da Bretanha (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Capelas (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Fenais da Luz (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Feteiras (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Ginetes (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Mosteiros (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Pilar da Bretanha (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Relva (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Remรฉdios (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Santa Bรกrbara (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Sรฃo Roque (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐ Parish of Livramento (Municipality of Ponta Delgada)
- ๐๐๐๐ AZORES ๐๐๐๐
- ๐๐๐ SรO MIGUEL ISLAND
VILA REAL;
BRAGANรA;
BRAGA;
PORTO ;
AVEIRO;
VISEU;
GUARDA ;
COIMBRA;
CASTELO BRANCO;
LEIRIA;
LISBOA;
SANTARรM;
PORTALEGRE;
SETรBAL;
รVORA;
BEJA;
FARO = ALGARVE;
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