The Azores is an archipelago that is integrated on the policy of the Portuguese Republic and on the European Union, it is generally enclosed in Europe. The archipelago is situated in the northeast of the Atlantic Ocean. The territories closer are the Iberian Peninsula, Madeira, New Scotland and Bermuda. It is a part of the biogeographic region of Macronesia.
Discovered in 1427, were first the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel and the last the islands of Flores and Corvo.
The Azores is populated by, circa, 244000 habitants, distributed through 9 islands and by three groups: The Eastern Group- Santa Maria e São Miguel, the Central Group- Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico e Faial and in the west- Flores and Corvo. The majority of the population live in São Miguel with 145000 habitants.
The Eastern Group also includes a group of rocks and ocean reefs, situated on the northeast of Santa Maria, called Ilhéus das Formigas, which with Dollabart reef, makes part of the Natural Reserve of the Ilhéus das Formigas, one of the places most important to the conservation of the marine biosphere in the Atlantic northeast.
The most elevated part of the archipelago is located on the island of Pico, with a altitude of 2 352m. The azorean suface is very rugged. This archipelago is part of the underwater mountain range which starts in Iceland to the south and south-west, with substantial parallel orientation to the bending of the continental coasts.
In virtue of the Golf Stream, which runs relatively close, keeps the ocean waters and a medium temperature between 17C and 23C. The air is humid, with medium humidity around 75%.
The volcanic origin of the Azores has it's maximum expression on the island of São Miguel, at the famous Valley of Furnas and the most recent volcanic activity on land was in the Capelinhos Volcano, at Faial island, in 1957-1958. At the ocean, the last eruption was off Serreta on Terceira island between 1998-2000.
Due to the strong influence of different cultures, from other people, which originated the settling of the archipelago, currently we are facing a wide culture, rich in traditions, habits and mores spreaded to the 9 islands, in which we highlight the religious manifestations such as the Impérios do Espírito Santo, the bullfights and the lenten pilgrimages.
In virtue of the resistance of the Azorean people, from 1976 on it became a Autonomous Region, with it's own Government and Assembly.