AZORES', a cluster of islands in the Atlantic, 800 m. due w. of the southern half of Portugal, ranging in n. between 36° 55' and 39° 44', and in w. long. between 25° 10' and 31' 10'. In the first half of the 15 c., the A. were discovered by the Portuguese, or rather, it has been said, appropriated by them, after having been revealed to them by a Flemish navigator, Joshua Vanderberg, of Bruges. They were at that time uninhabited —a fact which, so far as it goes, seems adverse to any notion that America could have been colonized from Europe in this direction. That the A. were visited by the Cartha genians is proved by Phrenician coins fOund on Corvo. As early as 1436, they are marked on a map of the world by the Venetian Andrea Bianco. The Portuguese colo nists called the whole group A., from acor or azor, a hawk; and they named the two individual islands Corvo and St. Jorgo, from Corvos Marinas and St. Jorsi, which. according to the maps of the 14th c., had been previously seen in the western ocean. In 1466, Alfonso V. made a life-grant of the island of Fayal to his aunt, the duchess of Burgundy, and from this circumstance many settlers migrated thither from Flanders. Without reckoning mere rocks, the islands are nine in number. Taken from e. to w., they are as follows: St. Mary, St. Michael, Terceira, Graciosa, St. Jorgo, Pico, Fayal, Flores, and Corvo. The area of the group is estimated at 980 sq.m.; while its pop. is
'72, 260,072;yielding an average of 265 to a sq.mile. In the order of pop. and impor tance, the islands stand thus: St. Michael, 'Terceira, Pico, Fayal, St. Jorgo, Flores, Graciosa, St. Mary, and Corvo. Their capital is Angra, in Terceira; but Ponta Delgada and Ribeira Grande, both in St. Michael, are larger towns.
As may be presumed from the density of the population, the soil is fertile, and the climate healthy. The islands are also well watered. The exports are oranges, wine, brandy, grain, pulse, pork, beef, cheese, and coarse linens; and the imports are woolens, cottons, hardware, iron, glass, cordage, pitch, tar, staves, timber, oil,fish, rum, coffee, sugar, salt, and tea. Perhaps the greatest want of the group is a good harbor.
The A. are of volcanic origin—a fact from which may probably be inferred their iden tity with the isles of Brazil orof Fire in the maps above mentioned, of the 14th century. Though most of the volcanoes themselves appear to be extinct, yet the islands contain hot springs, and are subject to violent earthquakes. The coasts are generally steep and rugged, while the interior parts abound in ravines and mountains. The mountains range from 1869 ft. to 7613—the latter being the height of the lava-covered peak which gives name to Pico.