Flores Island (Azores) 428639 225767290 2008-07-15T08:53:07Z 67.161.119.77 /* History */ {{Infobox Islands | name = Flores | image name = Ponta do Albernaz Flores Azores.JPG | image caption = The lighthouse of [[Ponta do Albernaz]] | image size = | locator map = Flores-pos.png | native name = | native name link = Portugal | nickname = | location = [[Atlantic Ocean]] | coordinates = {{coor dm|39|28|N|31|13|W|type:mountain_region}} | archipelago = [[Azores Islands]] | area = 143 km² | highest mount = [[Morro Alto]] | elevation = 914 m | country = Portugal | country admin divisions title = [[Administrative divisions of Portugal|Autonomous Region]] | country admin divisions = [[Azores Islands]] | country capital city = | country largest city = [[Santa Cruz das Flores]] | country largest city population = 2500 | country leader title = | country leader name = | population = 3,907 | population as of = 2003 | density = | ethnic groups = | additional info = }} '''Flores Island''' ([[Pronunciation|pron.]] {{IPA2|'floɾɨʃ}}) is an island of the [[Azores]], a [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[archipelago]] in the [[Atlantic ocean]]. It has a surface of 143 square kilometers and a 2003 population of 3907 inhabitants. ==Demographics== Flores is divided into two municipalities (''concelho''), [[Santa Cruz das Flores]] in the north, with 1820 inhabitants, and [[Lajes das Flores]] in the south. The economy of the island is mainly agricultural, with [[yam (vegetable)|yams]] and [[cereal|grain]]. Due to the early settlers being from northern Portugal, the island's houses and streets resemble those found there. Portugal has a military agreement with [[France]] permitting France to have a base in the region. The island also has an airport. ==The landscape== [[Image:Flores hocheebene.jpg|thumb|Lagoa Comprida]] [[Image:Flores faja grande.jpg|thumb|right|Fajãzinha]] Flores lies, like the island of [[Corvo Island|Corvo]], on the American Continental Plate. [[Fajã Grande]] is the westernmost village in all of [[Europe]]. Flores belongs to the western group of islands in the [[Azores]] archipelago, and is said to be one of the most beautiful of the Azorean islands. During the summer, the island is covered with thousands of [[hydrangea]]s, which have large blue or pink flowers; this is the origin of the island's name (''Flores'' is the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word for flowers). [[Image:Rocha dos Bordões, ilha das Flores, arquipélago dos Açores, Portugal.jpg|thumb|Rocha dos Bordões]] [[Image:Ponta Delgada Flores Azores North.jpg|thumb|Ponta Delgada]] The Island has deep valleys and high peaks. Morro Alto is the highest peak of the island, reaching an altitude of 914 meters; Sete Pés, Burrinha and Marcel are other peaks on the island. It has several inactive [[volcano]]es; Caldeira Funda das Lajes last erupted in 1200 BC, and Caldeira Comprida in 950 BC. Some of these volcanoes have [[calderas]] (or ''caldeiras'' in Portuguese) in which water has collected to form lakes. There are seven of these lakes on the island. The caldera [[Lagoa Funda]] is considered the most beautiful. The Águas Quentes are small hot springs of boiling sulphurous water. The Gruta de Enxaréus is an enormous cavern, about 50 meters long and 25 meters wide. The microclimate of the forest park of [[Fazenda de Santa Cruz]] allows the development of a great number and variety of exotic species from all over the world. In the municipality of [[Lajes das Flores]], by the sea, is [[Fajãzinha]], a typical Azorean village that includes ruins of water mills. There one can also find the waterfalls of Ribeira Grande, of which there are at least 20. They drop from a height of three hundred meters, some directly into the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. ==History== The island of Flores was discovered in 1450 by [[Diogo de Teive]] and his son [[João de Teive]]. The earlier names of the island were ''São Tomás'' ([[Thomas Becket]] of Canterbury, not to be confused with [[Thomas (Apostle)|Saint Thomas]], which in Portuguese is spelled "Tomé") and ''Santa Iria''. The island was first settled by the [[Flemish people|Flemish]] nobleman [[Willem van der Haegen]] (Guilherme da Silveira), after he met with Dona Maria Vilhena, who administered the island in the name of her young son, Rui de Teles. Vilhena and Van der Haegen came to an agreement and Haegen moved to the island between 1480 and 1490. Van der Haegen arrived in the Azores in 1469, and lived for a time on the island of Faial. Later he left for Terceira, living there a few years prior to his departure to Flores. He later left Flores because it was too isolated and lay on no naval routes to the rest of Europe; the island was also too infertile and windy. At the time, the name of the island was Corvo. The island became permanently populated during the reign of King [[Manuel I of Portugal]], in the year 1510, by people from various regions of continental Portugal, but mainly from the northern provinces. The island became arable, and grain and vegetables were cultivated. Over the next centuries, the inhabitants lived in isolated parts of the island, and trading vessels from the islands of [[Faial Island|Faial]] and [[Terceira]] came infrequently to trade [[whale oil]], [[butter]] and [[honey]] for other products. Despite the isolation, the island of Flores was sometimes raided by pirates. In the mid-19th century, American whalers hunted [[sperm whale]]s in the waters of the Azores, and many of the islands' inhabitants were recruited as [[whaling|whalers]]. One of the most beautiful American whaling ships, named the ''[[Wanderer (whaler)|Wanderer]]'', operated off the coast of Flores between 1878 and 1924. In July 1962, the French built a missle tracking installations on the Island (inaugurated in October 1966). In the following years, a hospital, a power station and an airport were established, which brought a financial upswing to the entire island. After the French left the island in 1994, tourism became the island's dominant industry. ==People== *[[José António Camões]] (1777-1827) ==External links== * [http://www.azores.com/azores/flores.php Flores on Azores.com (commercial website)] * [http://www.mirapico.dk/0flores.htm Flores on Mirapico.dk] * [http://www.destinazores.com/flores.php Flores on Destinazores.com] * {{en}} [http://theazoresislands.blogspot.com The Azores Islands, Site with abundant information about Portuguese Azores Islands] {{Azores Islands}} {{Outlying territories of European countries}} [[Category:Stratovolcanoes]] [[Category:Mountains of Portugal]] [[Category:Volcanoes of Portugal]] [[Category:Flores Island (Azores)| ]] [[da:Flores (Azorerne)]] [[de:Flores (Azoren)]] [[et:Flores (Assoorid)]] [[es:Isla de Flores (Portugal)]] [[eu:Flores (Azoreak)]] [[fr:Flores (Açores)]] [[gl:Illa das Flores (Azores)]] [[nl:Flores (Azoren)]] [[ja:フローレス島 (ポルトガル)]] [[no:Flores (Azorene)]] [[pl:Flores (wyspa na Azorach)]] [[pt:Flores]] [[ru:Флореш (Азорские острова)]] [[sk:Flores (sopka)]] [[sv:Flores, Portugal]]