Azores, << AY zohrz or uh ZOHRZ, >> are a group of nine islands that belong to Portugal. They are located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) west of Portugal. The Azores lie in the path of air and cable lines that link Europe and America. The islands cover 897 square miles (2,322 square kilometers) and have a 320-mile (515-kilometer) coastline.
Approximately 241,000 people live in the Azores. Through the years, many Azoreans have immigrated to the United States. More people of Azorean descent live in the United States than live in the Azores. The most important city in the Azores is Ponta Delgada, which is located on Sao Miguel Island.
The Azores form the peaks of a vast underwater volcanic mountain chain that extends through the mid-Atlantic Ocean from Iceland nearly to Antarctica. Earthquakes are fairly common in the Azores. Much of the land is hilly and wooded, but it produces corn, grapes, and citrus fruits.
Navigator Gonzalo Cabral claimed the Azores for Portugal in 1431. No one lived there at the time that Cabral arrived. However, the Portuguese soon colonized the islands. Britain used the Azores as a naval base in the warfare against Nazi submarines in World War II (1939-1945). Portugal, though neutral, permitted this because of an ancient treaty that allowed Britain to use the islands in time of war. The United States has military installations in the Azores.
During the mid-1970’s, many Azoreans objected to Portugal’s tight rule over the islands. Under the 1976 Portuguese Constitution and its later revisions, the Azores became an autonomous (self-governing) region of Portugal. However, some Azoreans continued to call for complete independence from Portugal.
See also Flores Island .
