Editing Azores (section)

==History==
{{main|History of the Azores}}
[[File:Ribeira Grande, São Miguel Island, Azores - panoramio (7) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Gaspar Frutuoso]] wrote ''[[Saudades da Terra]]'', the first history of the Azores and [[Macaronesia]], in the 1580s.]]

A small number of alleged [[Hypogeum|hypogea]] (underground structures carved into rocks) have been identified on the islands of Corvo, Santa Maria, and Terceira by Portuguese archaeologist Nuno Ribeiro, who speculated that they might date back 2,000&nbsp;years, implying a human presence on the island before the Portuguese.<ref>{{cite web |editor=J. M. A. |date=5 March 2011 |title=Estruturas podem ter mais de dois mil anos: Monumentos funerários descobertos nos Açores |website=Correio da Manhã |language=pt |location=Lisbon, PT |publisher=Cofina Media Jornal |url=http://www.cmjornal.xl.pt/detalhe/noticias/ultima-hora/monumentos-funerarios-descobertos-nos-acores |access-date=18 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514153752/http://www.cmjornal.xl.pt/detalhe/noticias/ultima-hora/monumentos-funerarios-descobertos-nos-acores |archive-date=14 May 2011}}</ref> These structures have been used by settlers in the Azores to store grain and the suggestion by Ribeiro that they might be burial sites is unconfirmed. Detailed examination and dating to authenticate the validity of these speculations is lacking; thus it is unclear whether these structures are natural or human-made and whether they predate the 15th&nbsp;century Portuguese colonization of the Azores.<ref>{{Citation |publisher=Açoreana Oriental |language=pt |access-date=27 June 2011 |title=Estudos arqueológicos podem indicar presença prévia ao povoamento das ilhas |date=27 June 2011 |location=Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal |editor=AO Online |url=http://www.acorianooriental.pt/noticias/view/216916 |archive-date=6 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006091322/http://www.acorianooriental.pt/noticias/view/216916 |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to a 2015 paper published in ''[[Journal of Evolutionary Biology]]'', research based on mouse [[mitochondrial DNA]] points to a Scandinavian rather than Portuguese origin of the local mouse population.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gabriel |first1=S. I. |last2=Mathias |first2=M. L. |last3=Searle |first3=J. B. |name-list-style=amp |title=Of mice and the 'Age of Discovery': the complex history of colonization of the Azorean archipelago by the house mouse (''Mus musculus'') as revealed by mitochondrial DNA variation |journal=Journal of Evolutionary Biology |date=2015 |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=130–145 |doi=10.1111/jeb.12550|pmid=25394749 |s2cid=24375092 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>Gashler, Krisy. [https://cals.cornell.edu/news/2021/11/viking-mice-norse-discovered-azores-700-years-portuguese "Viking mice: Norse discovered Azores 700 years before Portuguese". November 2021.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111175632/https://cals.cornell.edu/news/2021/11/viking-mice-norse-discovered-azores-700-years-portuguese |date=11 November 2021 }} College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. [[Cornell University|Cornell]]. Retrieved 26 March 2022.</ref> A 2021 paper published in ''[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]]'', using data from lake sediment [[Core sample|core sampling]], suggests [[Deforestation|brush-clearing]] was undertaken and animal husbandry introduced between 700 and 850 A.D.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Raposeiro |first1=Pedro M. |last2=Hernández |first2=Armand |last3=Pla-Rabes |first3=Sergi |last4=Gonçalves |first4=Vítor |last5=Bao |first5=Roberto |last6=Sáez |first6=Alberto |last7=Shanahan |first7=Timothy |last8=Benavente |first8=Mario |last9=de Boer |first9=Erik J. |last10=Richter |first10=Nora |last11=Gordon |first11=Verónica |last12=Marques |first12=Helena |last13=Sousa |first13=Pedro M. |last14=Souto |first14=Martín |last15=Matias |first15=Miguel G. |last16=Aguiar |first16=Nicole |last17=Pereira |first17=Cátia |last18=Ritter |first18=Catarina |last19=Rubio |first19=María Jesús |last20=Salcedo |first20=Marina |last21=Vázquez-Loureiro |first21=David |last22=Margalef |first22=Olga |last23=Amaral-Zettler |first23=Linda A. |last24=Costa |first24=Ana Cristina |last25=Huang |first25=Yongsong |last26=Van Leeuwen |first26=Jacqueline F. N. |last27=Masqué |first27=Pere |last28=Prego |first28=Ricardo |last29=Ruiz-Fernández |first29=Ana Carolina |last30=Sanchez-Cabeza |first30=Joan-Albert |last31=Trigo |first31=Ricardo |last32=Giralt |first32=Santiago |date=12 October 2021 |title=Climate change facilitated the early colonization of the Azores Archipelago during medieval times |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America]] |language=en |volume=118 |issue=41 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2108236118 |doi-access=free |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=8522277 |pmid=34607952 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11808236R }}</ref> These findings suggest a brief period of [[Norsemen|Norse]] settlement, and the 2021 paper further cites climate simulations that suggest the dominant westerly winds in the North Atlantic Ocean were weaker in that period, which would have made it easier for  [[Vikings|Viking]] ships to sail to the Azores from Scandinavia .<ref name=price>Price, Michael. [https://www.science.org/content/article/vikings-paradise-were-norse-first-settle-azores "Vikings in paradise: Were the Norse the first to settle the Azores?" October 2021.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325004050/https://www.science.org/content/article/vikings-paradise-were-norse-first-settle-azores |date=25 March 2022 }} ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]''. Retrieved 26 March 2022.</ref>

===Discovery===
[[File:Henry_the_Navigator1.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Under the direction of [[Prince Henry the Navigator]], the Azores were discovered and populated in the early 1400s.]]
In 1427, a captain sailing for [[Prince Henry the Navigator]], possibly [[Gonçalo Velho Cabral|Gonçalo Velho]], may have discovered the Azores, but this is not certain. In [[Thomas Ashe (writer)|Thomas Ashe]]'s 1813 work ''A History of the Azores'', the author identified a [[Flemish people|Fleming]], Joshua Vander Berg of [[Bruges]], who made landfall in the archipelago during a storm on his way to Lisbon.<ref name="History1813">{{cite book |first=Thomas |last=Ashe |year=1813 |title=History of the Azores, or Western Islands |publisher=Oxford University}}</ref> According to Ashe, the Portuguese explored the area and claimed it for Portugal.<ref name="History1813"/> Other writers note the discovery of the first islands (São Miguel, Santa Maria and Terceira) by sailors in the service of Henry the Navigator, although there are few documents to support such claims.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Santos |first=Robert L. |date=21 April 2009 |title=Azoreans to California: A History of Migration and Settlement |url=https://dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/136646/Bob_Santos-Azoreans_To_California.pdf |access-date=30 October 2023 |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030172934/https://dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/136646/Bob_Santos-Azoreans_To_California.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Although it is commonly said that the archipelago received its name from {{lang|pt|açor}} (Portuguese for [[northern goshawk|goshawk]], a common bird at the time of discovery) it is unlikely that the bird ever nested or hunted on the islands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-28 |title=FLAG OF THE AÇORES (Bandeira dos Açores) |url=https://roostercamisa.com/blogs/news/flag-of-the-acores-bandeira-dos-acores |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Rooster Camisa |language=en}}</ref> There were no large animals on Santa Maria; after its discovery and before settlement began, sheep were let loose on the island to supply future settlers with food.

===Early settlement===
The archipelago was largely settled from mainland Portugal, but settlement did not take place right away. [[Gonçalo Velho Cabral]] gathered resources and settlers for the next three years (1433–1436) and sailed to establish colonies, first on [[Santa Maria Island|Santa Maria]] and then on [[São Miguel Island|São Miguel]]. Settlers built houses, established villages and cleared bush and rocks to plant crops, grain, grapevines, [[sugar cane]] and other plants suitable for local use and for export. They brought domesticated animals, such as chickens, rabbits, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. The settlement of the unoccupied islands started in 1439 with people mainly from the continental provinces of [[Algarve]] and [[Alentejo]], in mainland Portugal. São Miguel was first settled in 1449, the settlers – mainly from the [[Estremadura Province (historical)|Estremadura]], [[Alto Alentejo Province|Alto Alentejo]] and Algarve areas of mainland Portugal – under the command of Gonçalo Velho Cabral, who landed at the site of modern-day [[Povoação, Azores|Povoação]].

===Flemish settlers===
The first reference to the island of [[São Jorge Island|São Jorge]] was made in 1439, but the date of discovery is unknown. In 1443, the island was already inhabited, but settlement began only after the arrival of the noble Flemish native [[Willem van der Haegen]]. Arriving at [[Topo (Calheta)|Topo]], São Jorge, where he lived and died, he became known as Guilherme da Silveira to the islanders. [[João Vaz Corte-Real]] received the captaincy of the island in 1483. [[Velas, Azores|Velas]] became a town before the end of the 15th century. By 1490, there were 2,000 Flemings living on the islands of Terceira, Pico, Faial, São Jorge and Flores. Because there was such a large Flemish settlement, the Azores became known as the Flemish Islands or the Isles of Flanders.

Prince Henry the Navigator was responsible for this Flemish settlement. His sister, [[Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy|Isabel]], was married to [[Philip the Good]], Duke of Burgundy, Flanders, at the time belonging to Burgundy. There was a revolt against Philip's rule, and disease and hunger became rampant. Isabel appealed to Henry to allow some of the unruly Flemings to settle in the Azores. He granted this and supplied them with means of transport and goods.

===The 1522 earthquake and recovery===
In 1522, [[Vila Franca do Campo]], then the capital of [[São Miguel Island|São Miguel]], was devastated by an [[1522 Vila Franca earthquake|earthquake and landslide]] that killed about 5,000&nbsp;people, and the capital was moved to [[Ponta Delgada]]. The town of Vila Franca do Campo was rebuilt on the original site, and today is a thriving fishing and yachting port. Ponta Delgada received its city status in 1546. From the first settlement, the pioneers applied themselves to agriculture, and by the 15th&nbsp;century Graciosa was exporting wheat, barley, wine and brandy. The goods were sent to Terceira largely because of the proximity of that island.

===Effects of the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580===

{{main|Conquest of the Azores}}
[[File:Azores old map.jpg|thumb|1584 map of the Azores Islands]]
Portugal fell into a dynastic crisis following the death of [[Henry, King of Portugal|Cardinal-King Henry of Portugal]] in 1580. Of the [[Portuguese succession crisis of 1580#Claimants to the throne|various claimants]] to the crown, the most powerful was king [[Philip II of Spain|Phillip&nbsp;II of Spain]], who justified his rights to the Portuguese throne by the fact that his mother was a Portuguese royal princess, his maternal grandfather having been King [[Manuel I of Portugal|Manuel&nbsp;I]] of Portugal.<ref name="MeloBento34">Melo Bento (2008) p 34</ref> Following his proclamation in Santarém, [[António, Prior of Crato]] was acclaimed in the Azores in 1580 (through his envoy António da Costa) but was expelled from the continent by the Spaniards following the [[Battle of Alcântara (1580)|Battle of Alcântara]].<ref name=MeloBento34/> Yet, through the administration of Cipriano de Figueiredo, governor of Terceira (who continued to govern Terceira in the name of ill-fated, former King [[Sebastian of Portugal]]), the Azoreans resisted Spanish attempts to conquer the islands (including specifically at the [[Battle of Salga]]).<ref name="MeloBento36">Melo Bento (2008) p 36</ref>

In 1583, [[Philip II of Spain]], as [[List of Portuguese monarchs|King of Portugal]], sent his fleet to clear the Azores of a combined multinational force of adventurers, mercenaries, volunteers, and soldiers who were attempting to establish the Azores as a staging post for a rival [[pretender]] to the Portuguese throne. Following the success of his fleet at the [[Battle of Ponta Delgada]], captured enemies were hanged from yardarms, as they were considered [[pirate]]s by Philip&nbsp;II. Opponents receiving the news variously portrayed Philip&nbsp;II as a despot or "[[Black legend (Spain)|Black Legend]]", the sort of insult widely made against contemporary monarchs engaged in aggressive empire building and the [[European wars of religion]]. Figueiredo and Violante do Canto helped organize a resistance on Terceira that influenced some of the response of the other islands, even as internal politics and support for Philip's faction increased on the other islands (including specifically on São Miguel, where the Gonçalvez da Câmara family supported the Spanish claimant).<ref name=MeloBento36/>

===English raids of 1589 and 1598===

{{main|Azores Voyage of 1589|Islands Voyage}}
[[File:Desembarcoislasterceiras.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Conquest of the Azores|Battle of Terceira]], part of the [[War of the Portuguese Succession]]]]
An English [[Azores Voyage of 1589|raid of the Azores]] in 1589 successfully plundered some islands and harbouring ships; eight years later, a second raid failed – the [[Islands Voyage]].

===Iberian Union===
{{main|Iberian Union}}
Spain held the Azores under the [[Iberian Union]] from 1580 to 1642 (called the "Babylonian captivity" in the Azores). The Azores were the last part of the [[Portuguese Empire]] to resist Philip's reign over Portugal ([[Macau]] resisted any official recognition), until the defeat of forces loyal to the [[Prior of Crato]] with the [[Conquest of the Azores]] in 1583. Portuguese control resumed with the end of the [[Iberian Union]] in 1640 and the beginning of the [[Portuguese Restoration War]], not by the professional military, who were occupied with warfare on the Portuguese mainland, but by local people attacking a fortified [[Crown of Castile|Castilian]] garrison.

===Overpopulation and emigration===

[[File:DpedroI-brasil-full.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Pedro I of Brazil|King-Emperor Pedro&nbsp;IV & I]] planned and launched his campaign in the [[Liberal Wars]] from the Azores in name of his daughter [[Maria II of Portugal|Queen Maria&nbsp;II]]]]
In the late 16th&nbsp;century, the Azores and Madeira began to face problems of overpopulation. Responding to the consequent economic problems, some people of the Azores began to emigrate to the United States, Canada and Brazil.<ref name="ImperialAge1989">{{cite book |first=G.V. |last=Scammell |year=1989 |title=The First Imperial Age |publisher=Unwin Hyman}}</ref>

In 1902, the Dominion Line began operating a Mediterranean passenger service between Boston and Italy via Gibraltar and the Azores, with an established port of call at Sao Miguel. In 1904, the service was taken over by the White Star Line, future owners of the ill-fated ''Titanic''. Four ships formerly owned by Dominion were renamed and put into service under White Star, named ''Canopic'', ''Romanic'', ''Cretic'' and ''Republic'', the last of which is best known for its 1909 sinking off the New England coast. ''Canopic'' and ''Romanic'' provided regular services to Boston, while ''Cretic'' and ''Republic'' operated on the service to both New York and Boston throughout their careers. By the time the service ended in 1921, these four ships had transported an estimated total of 58,000 Azorean Portuguese to the United States.<ref>New York, US Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1957;Massachusetts, US Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1963</ref>

===Liberal Wars of 1828–1834===
The [[Liberal Wars|Portuguese Civil War]] (1828–1834) had strong repercussions in the Azores. In 1829, in [[Praia da Vitória]], the liberals won over the [[Autocracy|absolutists]], making Terceira Island the main headquarters of the new Portuguese regime and also where the Council of Regency ({{lang|pt|Conselho de Regência}}) of [[Maria II of Portugal]] was established. Beginning in 1868, Portugal issued its stamps overprinted with "{{lang|pt|AÇORES}}" for use in the islands. Between 1892 and 1906, it also issued separate stamps for the three administrative districts of the time.

===Arbitrary district divisions 1836–1976===
From 1836 to 1976, the archipelago was divided into three districts, equivalent (except in area) to those in the [[Administrative divisions of Portugal#Districts|Portuguese mainland]]. The division was arbitrary and did not follow the natural island groups, rather reflecting the location of each district capital on the three main cities (none of which were on the western group).
*'''Angra do Heroísmo''' consisted of Terceira, São Jorge, and Graciosa, with the capital at [[Angra do Heroísmo]] on Terceira.
*'''Horta''' consisted of Pico, Faial, Flores, and Corvo, with the capital at [[Horta, Azores|Horta]] on Faial.
*'''Ponta Delgada''' consisted of São Miguel and Santa Maria, with the capital at [[Ponta Delgada]] on São Miguel.

===Modern period===
[[File:Crest of the Azores.gif|thumb|left|Symbol of the Azorean autonomist movement in the 19th&nbsp;century]]
In 1931, the Azores (together with Madeira and [[Portuguese Guinea]]) revolted against the [[Ditadura Nacional]] and were held briefly by rebel military.<ref>{{cite book |author=Payne, Stanley |year=1972 |title=A History of Spain and Portugal |at=Ch&nbsp;27 |location=Madison WI |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |url=http://libro.uca.edu/payne2/payne27.htm |url-status=live |access-date=22 June 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110525184237/http://libro.uca.edu/payne2/payne27.htm |archive-date=25 May 2011}}</ref>

In 1943, during [[World War II]], the Portuguese ruler [[António de Oliveira Salazar]] leased air and naval bases in the Azores to Great Britain.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Role of Portugal – co-opting Nazi Gold, Jonathan Petropoulos, "Dimensions", Vol 11, No 1, 1997 |url=http://www.adl.org/Braun/dim_14_1_neutrality_europe.asp |publisher=Adl.org |access-date=22 July 2009 |archive-date=4 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904232811/http://www.adl.org/braun/dim_14_1_neutrality_europe.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> The occupation of these facilities in October 1943 was codenamed ''[[Operation Alacrity]]'' by the British.<ref>{{cite web |author=Barrass, M. B. |date=2001–2008 |title=Air vice-marshal Sir Geoffrey Bromet |series=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation |website=Royal Air Force Organization (RAFWeb.org) |url=http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Bromet.htm |access-date=15 September 2011 |archive-date=10 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810232155/http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Bromet.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> This was a key turning point in the [[Battle of the Atlantic]], enabling the [[Royal Air Force]], the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Forces]], and the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] to provide aerial coverage in the [[Mid-Atlantic gap]]. This helped them to protect [[convoy]]s and to hunt hostile German [[U-boat]]s.

In 1944, the U.S. constructed a small and short-lived air base on the island of Santa Maria. In 1945, a new base was constructed on the island of Terceira, named [[Lajes Field]]. This air base is in an area called Lajes, a broad, flat sea terrace that had been a large farm. Lajes Field is a plateau rising out of the sea on the northeast corner of the island. This air base is a joint American and Portuguese venture. Lajes Field continues to support the American and [[Portuguese Armed Forces]].

[[File:Flag of the Azores Liberation Front.svg|thumb|right|The [[Azores Liberation Front]]'s flag preceded the modern [[flag of the Azores|Azorean flag]].]]
During the [[Cold War]], U.S. Navy [[Lockheed P-3 Orion|P-3 Orion]] [[anti-submarine warfare]] squadrons patrolled the North Atlantic Ocean for [[Soviet Navy]] submarines and surface warships. Since its opening, Lajes Field has been used for refuelling American [[Cargo aircraft|cargo planes]] bound for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The U.S. Navy keeps a small [[squadron (naval)|squadron]] of its ships at the harbor of [[Praia da Vitória]], {{cvt|3|km|spell=in|abbr=off}} southeast of Lajes Field. The airfield also has a small commercial terminal handling scheduled and chartered passenger flights from the other islands in the Azores, Europe, Africa, and North America.

Following the [[Carnation Revolution]] of 1974, which deposed the [[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Estado Novo]] dictatorship in Lisbon, Portugal and its territories across the world entered into a period of great political uncertainty. The [[Azores Liberation Front|Azorean Liberation Front]] attempted to take advantage of this instability immediately after the revolution, hoping to establish an independent Azores, until operations ceased in 1975.

In 1976, the Azores became the Autonomous Region of the Azores ({{lang|pt|Região Autónoma dos Açores}}), one of the [[autonomous regions of Portugal]], and the subdistricts of the Azores were eliminated. In 2003, the Azores saw international attention when United States President [[George W. Bush]], British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]], Spanish Prime Minister [[José María Aznar]], and Portuguese Prime Minister [[José Manuel Barroso|José Manuel Durão Barroso]] held a summit there days before the commencement of the [[Iraq War]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Bush: Monday is 'a moment of truth' on Iraq |date=17 March 2003 |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/16/sprj.irq.main/index.html |access-date=30 April 2010 |archive-date=5 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605183907/http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/16/sprj.irq.main/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>