亚速群岛(Azores)
葡萄牙语作A?ores
北大西洋中的群岛，为葡萄牙领土。面积共2,247平方公里。群岛由九个主要岛屿组成：包括圣米格尔、圣玛丽亚、法亚尔、皮库、圣若热、特塞拉、格拉西奥萨、弗洛里斯和科尔武。首府为蓬塔德尔加达（位於圣米格尔岛上）。各岛具有大致相同的特点：海岸陡峭，多岩石和卵石岩屑（岩屑堆或山麓碎石堆）。频繁的地震和玄武岩熔浆喷发显示其不稳定的地质特性。群岛西距欧洲大陆约1600公里。一般认为亚速群岛在1427年由葡萄牙国王的领航员塞尼尔（D. de Senill）发现，所有岛上没有发现人类到此或居住的痕迹。约1432年开始建立居民点，到15世纪末，所有岛屿均有人居住，并与葡萄牙建立了良好的贸易关系。1580～1640年，亚速群岛曾隶属西班牙，1591年曾是英国与西班牙和葡萄牙两个半岛强国之间海战的战场。1766年葡萄牙任命一名管辖整个群岛的总督兼提督；1895年被给予有限的行政自治权。第二次世界大战时重要的空军和海军基地在此建立，1951年美国在拉日什设立北大西洋公约组织的空军基地。
English version：
Azores
Archipelago (pop., 1992 est.: 237,000), northern Atlantic Ocean, constituting an autonomous region of Portugal. Its islands are Flores, Corvo, Terceira, S?o Jorge, Pico, Faial, Graciosa, S?o Miguel, and Santa Maria; the capital is Ponta Delgada (on S?o Miguel). It covers an area of 868 sq mi (2,247 sq km). Subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the islands lie some 1,000 mi (1,600 km) west of mainland Europe. The uninhabited Azores were reputedly discovered c. 1427 by Portuguese pilot Diogo de Sevilha. Settlement began c. 1432; by the end of the 15th century, all the islands were inhabited and trade with Portugal was well established. They were subject to Spain in 1580-1640, and a famous sea battle between the British and Spanish occurred off Flores in 1591. The Portuguese installed a governor and captain general for the whole group in 1766; the islands were given limited autonomy in 1895. Important air and naval bases were set up there during World War II; in 1951 the U.S. established a NATO base on Lajes.
