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The Azores, a group of nine volcanic
islands, are part of Portugal. This archipelago lies about 800 miles
(1,300 kilometers) west of Continental Portugal. The Azores occupy an
area of 905 square miles (2,344 square kilometers) and have a population
of about 250,000. Ponta Delgada, in the island of São (S.) Miguel, is
its chief city. Although sharing many of the same characteristics, the
Azorean islands are distinct from each other in geographic and human
character and features. The climate is uniform in the Azores. The
average temperature is 20.7º C (60.3º F) in the summer and 13.1º C
(55.6º F) in the winter. The economy is based on agriculture and cattle
raising.
The islands are organized in three
different groups. The Eastern group is formed by S. Miguel and Santa
Maria. The Central group consists of Terceira, Graciosa, S. Jorge, Pico,
and Faial, and the Western group of Flores and Corvo. The Azorean
archipelago forms the peak of a submersed volcanic mountain range, which
spreads through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, from Iceland to
Antarctica. Given the nature of the Azorean islands, earthquakes are
common there. From the XV to the XX centuries there have been violent
eruptions in some of them. However, in many, volcanic activity has long
ceased. Strong winds are another menace to the islands, for they are
great destroyers of property and crops. The Azores have been
strategically advantageous in foreign affairs. In the XV and XVI
centuries the islands were used as refueling ports in the expeditions to
the Orient. During World War II, they served as an American naval base.
This base is still active there today.
The Azores were discovered by Portuguese
explorers around 1430. The navigators named the Azores after the birds
they mistook for goshawks (Açores), which abounded there at the time.
These islands were deserted until the Portuguese began colonizing them.
Colonization was rapid and intense, especially in S. Miguel and Santa
Maria, the first islands to be discovered. Various groups of colonists
from different backgrounds and social classes came from all the
provinces, especially from Alentejo and Algarve. Diverse interests and
conditions brought both nobility and peasantry to the Azores. Political
fugitives, farmers, slaves, Moors and Jews were among the first
inhabitants of most of the islands. Flemings settled in the central
islands. Like the Jews and the Arabs, they eventually assimilated with
the Portuguese population. Because the islands were densely forested,
the settlers had to labor hard in clearing and tilling the land for
farming. The navigators, of the XV century, brought many exotic plants
from their travels abroad to Portugal. The settlers introduced them in
the Azores. Today, some of them are still being harvested. Corn and
pineapple (from South America), and tea (from China) are some of the
main crops of S. Miguel, for instance.
Although the land is rich, most of the
people of the Azores are poor. This is because of the class
stratification that still exists there today. There is still a great
economic gap between rich and poor. There a few rich landlords, and many
poor tenants. The former live comfortably from rental income, while the
latter work the land incessantly for a meager living. Any profit their
crops may yield is just barely enough to support their families.
However, since the inception of the new republic in 1975, which gave the
Azores more autonomy, the social condition is slowly improving. The
middle class is slowly increasing due to better education and political
freedom. Because of natural and economic crises, many Azoreans
immigrated to other lands, especially to Brazil, Canada and the United
States. As a result, there is a lack of native farmers. Foreigners,
among which are the Dutch and the Japanese are buying the land and
settling there. The first, are farming the rich volcanic land and the
latter are investing in the development of thermo energy. For the
capitalist, the Azores provides a great opportunity for development, for
the tourist a vacation paradise. The tranquility of life, the purity of
air, and the beauty of the land are the Azores greatest assets.
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