FAYAL, a Portuguese island forming part of the Azores archipelago. Pop. (1930) 21,432; area, 63 sq.m. Fayal, i.e., "the beech wood," was so called from the former abundance of the Myrica faya, which its discoverers mistook for beech trees. It has an excellent harbour at Horta (q.v.), a town of 7,643 inhabi tants. Cedros (2,803) and Feteira (I,974) are the other chief towns. The women of Fayal manufacture fine lace from the agave thread. They also execute carvings in snow-white fig-tree pith, and carry on the finer kinds of basket-making. A small valley, called Flamengos, perpetuates the name of the Flemish settlers, who have left their mark on the physical appearance of the inhabitants. (See AZORES.)