Here are some maps to give a better overview of the
Azores Islands.
- The Azores Archipelagos are a group of islands
(Portuguese territory) and are located almost in the middle
of the Atlantic Ocean. There are 9 islands that are
divided into three areas (the total group is approximately
800 nautical miles from the Portuguese mainland. The
westernmost group (also the most western point in Europe) is
composed of two islands (Flores and Corvo). The middle
group is composed of 5 islands (Faial, Pico, São
Jorge, Graciosa, and Terceira). The easternmost group
contains the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria. It is a
member of the European Union and as such one needs a valid
passport to enter the country. The money is the Euro (€)
which is expressed using a coma to separate the Euros from
the centimes (or cents in US money).
.
The islands were named for the goshawk - a bird of prey
similar to the kite (bird) and most of the islands can trace
back their histories to the 1300's when they were first
discovered by Portuguese sailors. Over the centuries
they have endured lots of hardships from marauding pirates
to earthquakes (the most recent devastation in 1998 - Faial
Island), volcanic eruptions (most recent 1957 - Faial), as
well as economic issues (blights, industries that went away
because of technology, etc.). They remain though a
group of amazingly beautiful landscaped islands and the
people are working hard to preserve this lovely natural
setting.
-
The Azores also remain relatively unknown to western tourists,
however, the Germans, French, and Scandinavian countries
have discovered the natural beauty, and friendly people.
The tourist industry is booming in the islands with mostly
the European campers and Yachting personnel. New
hotels are going up on almost all islands and daily flights
(in the summer) to both Europe and US (Boston and Oakland)
are creating new opportunities for others to be exposed to
the islands. The temperature throughout the islands
remains very temperate as the Gulf Stream helps to keep the
islands more tropical in nature throughout the year (winter
is 13°C or 55°F)
(summer is 23°C or 73°F)
  
- For further information you can try these sites:
http://www.azoresguide.net or
http://www.guiaturisticoacores.com
  
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