São Miguel Island
425448
221878509
2008-06-26T14:20:31Z
78.29.144.28
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{{Infobox Islands
| name = São Miguel Island
| image name = Sete cidades twin lakes.JPG
| image caption = [[Sete Cidades twin lakes]]
| image size =
| locator map = Sao Miguel-pos.png
| native name =
| native name link = Portugal
| nickname = The Green Island
| location = [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| coordinates = {{coor dms|37|44|13|N|25|41|64|W|}}
| archipelago = [[Azores Islands]]
| total islands =
| major islands =
| area = 759 km²
| highest mount = [[Pico da Vara]]
| elevation = 1105 m
| country = Portugal
| country admin divisions title = [[Administrative divisions of Portugal|Autonomous Region]]
| country admin divisions = [[Azores Islands]]
| country admin divisions title 1 =
| country admin divisions 1 =
| country capital city =
| country largest city = [[Ponta Delgada]]
| country largest city population = 64,516
| country leader title =
| country leader name =
| population = 140,000
| population as of = 2003
| density =
| ethnic groups =
| additional info =
}}
[[Image:Sao Miguel satellite photo-NASA.jpg|thumb|270px|right|[[NASA]] satellite photo (North to the top)]]
'''São Miguel Island''' ([[Pronunciation|pron.]] {{IPA2|sɐ̃ũ mi'gɛɫ}}; [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] for Saint Michael), nicknamed '''"The Green Island"''', is the largest and most populous of the [[Azores Islands]] archipelago. The island covers 759 km² (293 sq mi) and has around 140,000 inhabitants (called ''Micaelenses''); the largest town is [[Ponta Delgada]], with about 45,000 inhabitants.
==Geography==
[[Image:Sao Miguel-the green island.JPG|270px|thumb|right|Eastern São Miguel landscape]]
São Miguel 64 km from east to west, and between 8 and 14 km wide. Named the "Green (Verde) Island", São Miguel is largely covered with fields and meadows in the lowlands. The ancient ''[[laurisilva]]'' forest has been mostly replaced by exotic vegetation. Some [[hot spring]]s (''caldeiras'') appear mostly in the center of the island, which is composed of an old solid mass that stretches from Povoação to Nordeste. São Miguel has 3 [[stratovolcano]]es and caldeiras, [[Sete Cidades]], [[Agua de Pau]], [[Caldeiras]] and finally [[Furnas]]. The volcanic masses are connected between the alignments of the cone-like mass that are made up of peaks.
[[Image:Mosteiros sao miguel.jpg|270px|thumb|right|Mosteiros, a village on the northwestern coast]]
The peak area between Sete Cidades and Fogo is a [[monogenetic volcanic field]] composed of 270 volcanoes. They are primarily made up of [[basaltic]] cones which were formed during Strombolian and Hawaiian-style eruptions. It is the most recently active area of the island. The youngest volcanoes are relatively well dated. It is possible to count 19 eruptions which have occurred 3,000 years ago. One eruption was historical and is known as Fogo 2, it occurred in [[1652]].
The highest elevation on São Miguel is the [[Pico da Vara]] with 1,103m.
==Cities:==
*[[Ponta Delgada]]
*[[Ribeira Grande]]
==Municipalities==
*[[Lagoa, Azores|Lagoa]]
*[[Nordeste, Azores|Nordeste]]
*[[Ponta Delgada]]
*[[Povoação]]
*[[Ribeira Grande]]
*[[Vila Franca do Campo]]
==History==
São Miguel was the second of the Azores islands to have a [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] settlement in [[1427]].
== References ==
* {{cite book | last = Scarth | first = Alwyn | coauthors= Tanguy, Jean-Claude | title = Volcanoes of Europe | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | date = 2001 | pages= 243 pp | isbn = 0-19-521754-3 }}
* [http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/region.cfm?rnum=1802 Global Volcanism Program: Azores]
==External links==
*[http://theazoresislands.blogspot.com/search/label/S%C3%A3o%20Miguel%20Island The Azores Islands - Site with abundant information about São Miguel Island]
*[http://www.gavilaphoto.com/pagina.aspx?keywords=sao%20miguel Photos of São Miguel island]
{{Azores Islands}}
{{Outlying territories of European countries}}
{{coor title dm|37|46|N|25|28|W|type:isle}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Miguel Island}}
[[Category:São Miguel Island| ]]
[[cs:São Miguel]]
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[[fr:São Miguel (île)]]
[[gl:Illa de São Miguel]]
[[he:סאו מיגל]]
[[nl:São Miguel (eiland)]]
[[ja:サンミゲル島]]
[[nn:São Miguel]]
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[[pt:Ilha de São Miguel]]
[[ru:Сан-Мигел (Азорские острова)]]
[[fi:São Miguel]]
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[[uk:Сан-Мігел (острів)]]