São Miguel Island
Native name: Ilha de São Miguel Nickname: The Green Island | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | Atlantic Ocean |
Coordinates | 37°46′43″N 25°29′42″W / 37.77861°N 25.49500°W |
Archipelago | Azores |
Area | 744.55 km2 (287.47 sq mi)[1] |
Coastline | 224.52 km (139.51 mi)[1] |
Highest elevation | 1,105 m (3625 ft)[1] |
Highest point | Pico da Vara |
Administration | |
Autonomous Region | Azores |
Municipalities |
|
Capital and largest city | Ponta Delgada (pop. 68,809) |
Demographics | |
Demonym | Micaelense |
Population | 133,295 (2021) |
Languages | Portuguese |
Ethnic groups | Portuguese |
Additional information | |
Time zone |
São Miguel Island (pronounced [ˈsɐ̃w miˈɣɛl]; Portuguese for "Saint Michael"), nicknamed "The Green Island" (Ilha Verde), is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The island covers 760 km2 (290 sq mi) and has around 140,000 inhabitants, with 45,000 people residing in Ponta Delgada, the archipelago's largest city.
History
In 1427, São Miguel became the second of the islands discovered by
It was sometime after the initial settlement of Povoação Velha (on the southeastern coast) that (between 1439 and 1444) a volcanic eruption occurred in the crater of Sete Cidades (then uninhabited). There are no records of the precise date, but Gaspar Frutuoso noted that navigators returning to São Miguel (soon after its discovery) encountered the western part of the island completely changed and tree trunks and pumice stone floating in the waters around the island. After docking in Povoação, the settlers reported feeling tremors and aftershocks; "...those settlers living in their earthen holes of straw and hay, heard almost within a year a great loud noise, roars and snorts that came from the earth with large tremors still proceeded the subversion and fire from the peak that had disappeared."
In the early 15th century,
The first capital of the island was Vila Franca do Campo, which was devastated by the 1522 Vila Franca earthquake and landslides. The tragedy helped to elevate Ponta Delgada to the administrative and economic status of capital and business centre from 1546.
During the
With the Portuguese Restoration War (1640), the island regained its position as a commercial centre, establishing new contacts in Brazil, which was heavily colonized during this period. Some of the island's historic buildings, including mansions and churches, date from this period; the island's architectural expansion and developed came from revenues from the export of oranges, mainly to Great Britain.
In 1831, during the Liberal Wars, following the landing of troops loyal to Queen Maria II in Nordeste (sent by future Duke of Terceira), a resistance to the Absolutist regime on the Island was organized. In 1832, this militia declared allegiance to the Charter (constitutional monarchy) and Queen Maria, forming a contingent that sailed to the continent where they were involved in the liberation of Porto.
Following the Liberal Wars, the period of Devourism allowed the economy to flourish, and the port of Ponta Delgada expanded, through the export of new crops such as tea, pineapple, and tobacco. The development of the fishing industry, cultivation of food staples and expansion of the dairy industry permitted the growth of many of the population centres on the island.
Following the
Geography
Geology
São Miguel is bisected by many faults from the northwest to southeast in the direction of the Terceira Rift, a triple junction of the African, Eurasian, and North American tectonic plates. This system is best expressed in the western part of the island with extensive geological formations, such as the Mosteiros Graben (along the western flank of the Sete Cidades Massif), the Ribeira Grande Graben (along the northern flank of the Água de Pau Massif), and the many cones and fissural structures along the interior of the island. In the ancient crater of Furnas the faults are aligned west-northwest to east-southeast. Zbysewsky (1959), among others (note references) identifies eight geomorphological structures on São Miguel that correspond to the formative features that built the island, including:
- The spatter cones and lava domes;
- The Picos Volcanic Systemor Picos Region – is situated along a northwest–southeast alignment, and defines a range of spatter cones and relatively level ground between the Sete Cidades and the Água de Pau Massifs;
- The pumice cones. On the northeastern flank of the Massif the Ribeira Grande Grabenis visible, representing a tectonic depression oriented northwest to southeast;
- The Achada das Furnas Plateau – a region with a central plain marked by cones and maars, with deposits along a west-northwest to east-southeast and northwest to southeast;
- Furnas Volcano – located in the eastern part of the island, along the southern coast, and comprising two ancient calderas, occupied by a lake (Lagoa das Furnas). Within the system one can find many pumice cones, maars and lava domes;
- Povoação Volcano – comprising a central caldera, generally well-eroded and whose southern rim has disappeared to the southern coast. Within its interior, marked by several river-valleys and cliffs, are several spatter cones;
- The Tronqueira Region – it occupies the extreme easterly portion of the island and corresponds to a mountainous region, divided by many river-valleys that are usually delineated by tectonic fractures;
- The Northern Coastal Platform – located along the northeastern portion of the island, and marks a zone of relatively moderate topography, limited by the coast to the north and the northern crater rims of Furnas and Povoação volcanoes to the south.
São Miguel comprises six volcanic zones; all are Quaternary in age except the last, which is partly Pliocene. From west to east these zones are: the trachyte stratovolcano of the Sete Cidades Massif; a field of alkali-basalt cinder cones and lava flows with minor trachyte; the trachyte stratovolcano of the Água de Pau Massif; a field of alkali-basalt cinder cones and lava flows with minor trachyte and tristanite; the trachyte stratovolcano of Furnas; and the Nordeste shield, which includes the Povoação caldera and consists of alkali basalt, tristanite and trachyte.[2] Dormancy ages for these regions include: 400 year for Sete Cidades, 145 for zone 2, 1150 for Água de Pau, and 370 for Furnas, while eruptions in the Nordeste have not occurred in the past 3000 years.[2]
These geomorphological structures have resulted from millions of years of compound growth that began in the eastern portion of the island; around 4 million years ago the Nordeste Volcano burst from the ocean floor in effusive and fissural eruptions. These eruptions were composed of basaltic lava flows and spatter cones whose products reached a height of 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) forming the mountainous region of Tronqueiro, Planalto dos Graminhais, Espigão dos Bois and Pico Verde (finding its maximum extent in Pico da Vara). But, about 950,000 years ago a secondary volcano system (Volcanic Complex of Povoação) supplanted the eruptions of the Nordeste Volcano, responsible for new basaltic lavas and pyroclastic deposits. With an age of 200,000 years the third volcano on São Miguel, the Água de Pau Volcano started erupting on the western flank of Povoação volcano in two phases. The first phase, composed of the older materials, erupted from lava flows and Trachyte pyroclasts, the secondary phase corresponded to volcanic products that began erupting 400,000 years ago. These latter deposits included pyroclastic, trachyte flows (lava and surges), mud flows and a mixture of basalts. In what would become the western portion of the island a fourth volcano formed: the Sete Cidades Volcano erupted 200,000 years ago and continued to erupt until about 36,000 years ago.
Between 100,000 and 3,800 years ago fissural eruptions of integrated lava and basaltic pyroclastic deposits occurred in the center of the island between Água de Pau and Povoação, forming the
The peak area between Sete Cidades and Fogo is a
Biome
The ancient
The highest elevation on São Miguel is the
Whale watching tours, starting from Ponta Delgada and Vila Franca do Campo are available. One may see sea turtles, dolphins and humpback whales.
Climate
São Miguel has a mild maritime climate, which is drier in the summer and wetter in the winter, though according to the Köppen climate classification, four different climatic classifications can be found throughout the island. At lower elevations, the hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) dominates over the Humid subtropical climate (Cfa) typical of the more westerly islands and truly only found around Capelas. Above 100 m (330 ft) altitude, the Mediterranean climate transitions into its warm-summer variant (Csb), and past 200 m (660 ft) the climate is strictly oceanic (Cfb).[5]
The western half of the island is generally drier, due to the lower topography. Precipitation varies from less than 800 mm (31 in) in the Northwest coastline between Mosteiros and Ajuda da Bretanha, to over 3,200 mm (130 in) around Pico da Vara in the east.[6]
Similar to other islands in the archipelago, São Miguel is influenced by ocean currents and winds, and, in particular, the cyclonic Gulf Stream. This stream functions as a moderating force in the islands, keeping temperatures hovering between 14 °C (57 °F) and 23 °C (73 °F) throughout the year. The island's location also makes it susceptible to some Atlantic storms, and precipitation tends to be elevated during the winter periods. Winters are very mild by European standards and summers are warm (sometimes very warm due to the high humidity) and relatively dry. Temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) or below 5 °C (41 °F) have never been recorded at the coast.
Climate data for Afonso Chaves Observatory, Ponta Delgada 1981–2010 normals, altitude: 35 m (115 ft) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 21.2 (70.2) |
21.0 (69.8) |
22.4 (72.3) |
23.5 (74.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
29.0 (84.2) |
29.0 (84.2) |
29.1 (84.4) |
26.7 (80.1) |
26.5 (79.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
29.1 (84.4) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) |
17.1 (62.8) |
17.6 (63.7) |
18.4 (65.1) |
19.7 (67.5) |
21.9 (71.4) |
24.3 (75.7) |
25.7 (78.3) |
24.7 (76.5) |
22.3 (72.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 14.8 (58.6) |
14.4 (57.9) |
15.0 (59.0) |
15.6 (60.1) |
16.9 (62.4) |
19.1 (66.4) |
21.3 (70.3) |
22.6 (72.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
19.6 (67.3) |
17.2 (63.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
17.8 (64.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
12.4 (54.3) |
12.8 (55.0) |
14.1 (57.4) |
16.3 (61.3) |
18.4 (65.1) |
19.5 (67.1) |
18.8 (65.8) |
16.8 (62.2) |
14.6 (58.3) |
13.1 (55.6) |
15.1 (59.1) |
Record low °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) |
5.2 (41.4) |
5.4 (41.7) |
6.9 (44.4) |
7.9 (46.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
11.5 (52.7) |
12.0 (53.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
10.1 (50.2) |
7.1 (44.8) |
6.2 (43.2) |
5.0 (41.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 111.5 (4.39) |
95.2 (3.75) |
98.6 (3.88) |
83.3 (3.28) |
70.2 (2.76) |
45.9 (1.81) |
28.1 (1.11) |
47.3 (1.86) |
87.9 (3.46) |
109.6 (4.31) |
116.0 (4.57) |
158.9 (6.26) |
1,052.5 (41.44) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 13.1 | 11.5 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 9.2 | 7.0 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 9.9 | 12.0 | 12.9 | 15.4 | 124.2 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
82 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 83 | 81 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 97 | 103 | 120 | 141 | 174 | 163 | 208 | 213 | 175 | 142 | 109 | 93 | 1,738 |
Source 1: Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera[7] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (Humidity & Sunshine 1961-1990)[8] |
Human geography
Owing to the predominance of volcanic cones and craters in the interior, human settlement has developed primarily along coastal and interior plains. In addition, there are several communities that have developed within ancient craters (such as
Government is administered at the local level by the civil parish (Portuguese: freguesias), which are responsible for the provision of services and implementation of municipal initiatives. Based on the historical ecclesiastical limits established after settlement, the civil parishes are run by a president, treasurer and secretary (at the head of a parish council). These presidents have municipal council standing and represent their constituencies in the assemblies of the Câmara Municipal. On the island of São Miguel there are 64 local area authorities, that include:
- Achada
- Achadinha
- Água de Alto
- Água de Pau
- Água Retorta
- Algarvia
- Ajuda da Bretanha
- Arrifes
- Cabouco
- Calhetas
- Candelária
- Capelas
- Conceição
- Covoada
- Faial da Terra
- Fajã de Baixo
- Fajã de Cima
- Fenais da Ajuda
- Fenais da Luz
- Feteiras
- Furnas
- Ginetes
- Livramento
- Lomba da Fazenda
- Lomba da Maia
- Lomba de São Pedro
- Maia
- Matriz
- Mosteiros
- Nordeste
- Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
- Nossa Senhora do Rósario
- Pico da Pedra
- Pilar da Bretanha
- Ponta Garça
- Porto Formoso
- Povoação
- Rabo de Peixe
- Relva
- Remédios
- Ribeira Chã
- Ribeira das Tainhas
- Ribeira Quente
- Ribeira Seca (Ribeira Grande)
- Ribeira Seca (Vila Franca do Campo)
- Ribeirinha
- Salga
- Santa Bárbara (Ribeira Grande)
- Santa Bárbara (Ponta Delgada)
- Santa Clara
- Santa Cruz
- Santana
- Santo António
- Santo António de Nordestinho
- São Brás
- São José
- São Miguel
- São Pedro (Ponta Delgada)
- São Pedro (Vila Franca do Campo)
- São Pedro de Nordestinho
- São Roque
- São Sebastião
- São Vicente Ferreira
- Sete Cidades
Transport
Three bus routes operate in Ponta Delgada on weekdays from 07:00 to 19:00.[9] Line A runs in the western part of town, line B in the central/north, and line C in the east. There are bus services between Ponta Delgada and most other towns on the island, but usually only a few times a day. City services and island-wide services are both accessible along "Avenida D. Infante Henriques" and conveniently accessible from major sites in Ponta Delgada. Up to date schedules are available at bus stops and the tourist office. Distances on the island are short with journeys rarely longer than 90 minutes.[9]
Notable citizens
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c "Geografia São Miguel". iaram.azores.gov.pt. Azores Government. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ a b Richard B. Moore (1990), p.1
- ^ "Ponta da Ferraria - Visit Azores". www.visitazores.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Rodrigues, Valentina (3 January 2022). "Ponta da Ferraria, Azores: The Ultimate Visitor's Guide". Futurismo Blog. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- IPMA. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- IPMA. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- IPMA. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Ponta Delgada (08513) - WMO Weather Station". NOAA. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- ^ a b "Ponta Delgada". Travellerspoint. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- Sources
- Carmo, R. (2004). Geologia estrutural da região Povoação – Nordeste (ilha de S. Miguel, Açores). Tese de Mestrado em Vulcanologia e Avaliação de Riscos Geológicos. Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Geociências. p. 121.
- Ferreira, T. (2000). Caracterização da actividade vulcânica da ilha de S. Miguel (Açores): vulcanismo basáltico recente e zonas de desgaseificação. Avaliação de riscos. Tese de Doutoramento no ramo de Geologia, especialidade de Vulcanologia. Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Geociências. p. 248.
- Ferreira, T.; Tanguy, Jean-Claude (2001). Volcanoes of Europe. ISBN 0-19-521754-3.
- Gaspar, J.L.; Ferreira, T.; Queiroz, G.; Wallenstein, N.; Pacheco, J.; Guest, J.; Duncan, A.; Cole, P. (1995). Evolução morfoestrutural do vulcão das Furnas (ilha de S. Miguel, Açores). IV Congresso Nacional de Geologia. Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Ciências, Museu e laboratório Mineralógico e Geológico, Mem. 4. pp. 999–1003.
- Queiroz, G. (1997). Vulcão das Sete Cidades (S. Miguel, Açores): História eruptiva e avaliação do Hazard.Tese de doutoramento no ramo de Geologia, especialidade de Vulcanologia. Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Geociências. p. 226.
- Wallenstein, N. (1999). Estudo da história eruptiva recente e do comportamento eruptivo do vulcão do Fogo (S. Miguel, Açores). Avaliação preliminar do hazard. Tese de doutoramento no ramo de Geologia, especialidade de Vulcanologia. Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Geociências. p. 266.
- Zbyszewsky, G.; Moitinho de Almeida, F.; Veiga Ferreira, O.; de Assunção, C.T. (1958). Notícia explicativa da Folha "B", da ilha S. Miguel (Açores) da Carta Geológica de Portugal na escala 1:50000. Publ. Serviços. Geológicos de Portugal, Lisboa. p. 37.
- Zbyszewsky, G.; Veiga Ferreira, O.; de Assunção, C.T. (1959). Notícia explicativa da Folha "A", da ilha S. Miguel (Açores) da Carta Geológica de Portugal na escala 1:50000. Serviços. Geológicos de Portugal, Lisboa. p. 22.
- Zbyszewsky, G. (1961). Étude geologique de l'ile de S. Miguel (Açores). Comunicações Serviços Geológicos de Portugal, 45l. pp. 5–79.
- Global Volcanism Program: Azores