The Azores is a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km (930 mi) from Lisbon and about 3,900 km (2,400 mi) from the east coast of North America. The Monchique Islet on Flores Island, located at 31° 16' 24" W is regarded as the westernmost point in Europe, even though from a geological standpoint the two westernmost Azorean islands (Flores and Corvo) actually lie on the North American plate.
The current Azores' main industries are tourism, cattle raising for milk and meat, and fishing.
All of the islands have volcanic origins, although Santa Maria also has some reef contribution. Mount Pico on Pico Island, at 2,351 m (7,713 ft) in altitude, is the highest in all of Portugal.
The archipelago composed by 9 islands form the Autonomous Region of Azores, one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal.
Climate
Due to it's geographical position, the archipelago generally has a tepid, oceanic, subtropical climate, with mild annual oscillations . The Azores high, an area of high atmospheric pressure, is named after the islands.
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.
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).
Airports
Each of the nine biggest islands has its own airport.
Santa Maria: Santa Maria Airport
Sao Miguel: João Paulo II Airport
Terceira: Lajes Field Lajes Air Base (Portuguese Airforce and US Airforce)
Sao Jorge: São Jorge Airport
Pico: Pico Airport
Faial: Horta Airport
Graciosa: Graciosa Airport
Flores: Flores Airport
Corvo: Corvo Airport
Coat of Arms
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Azores Liaison will be pleased to help you discover or simply visit again these wonderful islands !
