 São Jorge Island looking north-northwest to Ponta dos Rosais |
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 38°39′N 28°5′W / 38.65°N 28.083°W |
| Archipelago | Azores Islands |
| Area | 237.59 km² |
| Highest point | Pico da Esperança (1053 m) |
| Country | |
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Portugal
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| Autonomous Region | Azores Islands |
| Largest city | Velas (pop. 5,585) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 10,500 |
| Density | 44.19 /km² (114.5 /sq mi) |
São Jorge (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɐ̃ũ ˈʒɔɾʒ(ɨ)]) is a Portuguese island in the central Azorean archipelago of Portugal. It is separated from its nearest neighbors (Pico and Faial islands) by a 15 km strait (consequently, the islands are sometimes referred to colloquially as the "Triangle" group or just "The Triangle"). São Jorge's is a relatively long thin island that runs north-northwest to south-southeast (its east to west length is 53 km and its north to south width is 8 km and its area is 237.59 km²). It's coast is, generally, tall cliffs with some population centers located along small deltas in the north and south coasts (the population is approximately 10,500).
The island was discovered in 1439, but not inhabited until twenty years later when colonists arrived from northern Europe. São Jorge is a volcanic island, as are many of the Azorean islands, and at least six significant eruptions occurred between 1580 and 1907. Ten people were killed by the 1580 eruption and eight in 1808. On both of these occasions small glowing clouds were reported. A possible submarine eruption was reported southwest of the island in 1964 but was not confirmed.
The highest point is Pico da Esperança at 1,053 meters. The island's agriculture includes cattle, cereals, and fruits. Other main industries include fisheries and dairy products.
Administratively, São Jorge is divided into two municipalities (concelhos), Calheta in the east with five parishes and Velas in the west with six parishes.
 South coast |
 Church in Topo |
See also
References
- "San Jorge". Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1802-03=
- Scarth, Alwyn; Tanguy, Jean-Claude (2001). Volcanoes of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 243 pp. ISBN 0-19-521754-3.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: São Jorge |
- Azores.com, a commercial site but with abundant information on São Jorge Island
- (English) The Azores Islands, Site with abundant information about São Jorge Island
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
