IV.

History

The Azores were discovered by Portuguese sailors in 1427 and were settled by Portuguese and Flemish colonists beginning in the 1430s and 1440s. Occupied by Spain from 1580 to 1640, the Azores were the site of naval battles between the English and the Spanish and Portuguese. During World War II (1939-1945), neutral Portugal allowed Britain and the United States to place naval and air bases in the islands. After the war, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) airbase was established on Terceira by the United States. In 1976, with the ratification of Portugal's new constitution, the Azores became an autonomous region. In addition to their strategic position for military purposes, the location of the Azores also facilitates the collection of essential weather information for meteorologists.