The Azores

(courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

How much do YOU know about the Azores? Because I certainly knew about nil before stumbling upon them. They're an archipelago of islands located in the Atlantic about 1000 miles off the coast of Portugal, of which they are a part. They extend for almost 400 miles, a group of massive volcanoes. In fact, Mt Pico, which is shown above, is the highest point in Portugal. The volcanoes themselves, if measured from the ocean floor base, are some of the largest in the world. Though only 906 square miles in area, they are home to almost 250,000 people.

Angra de Heroismo, one of the three capitals of the Azores (each branch of government is hosted by a separate city), is the oldest continuously inhabited area on the islands. Its central area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.