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The nine Azorean Islands extend for more than 600 km, and are guided in the northwest - Southeastern direction. The vast extension of the islands defines an immense exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 1,1 million square kilometers. The most western point of this area is 2100 miles from the North American continent.
Even if Portugal is a unitary nation, the Azorean Islands are granted with a autonomous region. Sometimes visitors confuse the islands to be a Portuguese dependency or a country, which can sometimes be seen as offensive by the locals.
In 1427, one of the captains sailing for Henry the Navigator discovered the Azores, possibly Gonçalo Velho, but this is not certain.
Beginning in 1868, Portugal issued its stamps overprinted with "AÇORES" for use in the islands. Between 1892 and 1906, it also issued separate stamps for the three administrative districts of the time.
Angra consisted of Terceira, São Jorge, and Graciosa, with the capital at Angra do Heroismo on Terceira.
Horta consisted of Pico, Faial, Flores, and Corvo, with the capital at Horta on Faial.
Ponta Delgada consisted of São Miguel and Santa Maria, with the capital at Ponta Delgada on São Miguel.
From 1938 to 1978, the archipelago was divided into three districts, quite equivalent (except in area) to those in the Portuguese mainland. The division was quite arbitrary, and didn’t follow the natural island groups, rather reflecting the location of each district capital on the three main cities (neither of each on the western group).
In 1978 the Azores became an Autonomous Region and the Azorean districts (Angra, Horta, Ponta Delgada) were suppressed.
The Azores is a Portuguese Autonomous Region since 1976, the executive section of the autonomy is located in Ponta Delgada, the legislative in Horta and the judicial in Angra do Heroísmo. The President of the Azorean Autonomous Region is Carlos Cesar.
The Azores are divided in 19 municipalities (concelhos), each municipality is further divided into parishes (freguesias). The Azores has a total of 156 parishes.
There are also 5 cities: Ponta Delgada and Ribeira Grande in São Miguel Island; Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da VitóriaVila da Praia da Vitoria is a town in the Portuguese department of the Azores, on the eastern fringe of the island of Terceira. It is the second largest town on the island, after Angra do Heroismo. Praia da Vitoria is a fishing and agricultural community, in Terceira, and Horta in Faial.
Santa Maria
São Miguel
Terceira
Graciosa
São Jorge
Pico
Faial
Flores
Corvo
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