Editing Azores (section)

===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>