São Miguel Island (pronounced [ˈsɐ̃w miˈɣɛl]; Portuguese for 'Saint Michael'), nicknamed "The Green Island" (Ilha Verde), is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The island covers 760 km (290 sq mi) and has around 140,000 inhabitants, with 45,000 people residing in Ponta Delgada, the archipelago's largest city.
Formigas Islets (Portuguese: Ilhéus das Formigas [fuɾˈmiɣɐʃ]; lit. 'Islets of the Ants'), sometimes referred to as the Formigas Bank, are a group of uninhabited rocky outcroppings in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago, an autonomous region of Portugal. The bank is located 43 kilometres (27 mi) northeast of Santa Maria and southeast of São Miguel, covering a surface area of approximately 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft). The submerged Dollabarat Reef is in the same area. The only structure on the islets is a lighthouse located on Formigão (Big Ant), the largest islet.
The Azores, officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores, is an autonomous region of Portugal, in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,400 km (870 miles) west of mainland Portugal. Together with Madeira, it is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal and a special territory of the European Union. It is the westernmost point and region of Portugal.
The Azores is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atlantic Ocean.There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo to the west; Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the centre; and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas islets to the east. They extend for more than 600 km (370 mi) and lie in a northwest–southeast direction. All the islands have volcanic origins, although some, such as Santa Maria, have had no recorded activity in the time since the islands were settled several centuries ago. Mount Pico on the island of Pico is the highest point in Portugal, at 2,351 m (7,713 ft). If measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, the Azores are among the tallest mountains on the planet. The Azores are located at the seismically active Azores triple junction plate boundary where the North American plate, Eurasian plate and Nubian plate meet.
Santa Maria (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɐ̃tɐ mɐˈɾi.ɐ]; Potuguese and Spanish for 'Saint Mary') is an island in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago (south of the island of São Miguel) and the southernmost island in the Azores. The island is known for its white sand beaches, distinctive chimneys, and dry warm weather.
The Eastern Group is one of the island groups of the Azores, Portugal. It comprises the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria and the Formigas Islets.
Ponta Delgada (European Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpõtɐ ðɛlˈɣaðɐ] ; lit. 'Thin Cape') is the largest municipality (concelho) and executive capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. It is located on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the archipelago. As of 2021, it has 67,287 inhabitants, in an area of 232.99 square kilometres (89.96 square miles). There are 17,629 residents in the three central civil parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro, São Sebastião, and São José. Ponta Delgada became the region's administrative capital under the revised constitution of 1976; the judiciary and Catholic See remained in the historical capital of Angra do Heroísmo while the Legislative Assembly of the Azores was established in Horta.