Terceira

Terceira is an island in the central group of the Azores. It is 29 km long and 17.5 km wide. About 56,000 people live on Terceira Island.

The Azores consists of nine larger and several smaller islands, which are 1369 km west of mainland Europe. In administrative terms, the Azores together form an autonomous region of Portugal, the Região Autónoma dos Açores, and thus belong to the European Union.

Terceira was discovered in the 15th century by Portuguese sailors as the third of the Azores islands, from which its name is derived (port.: terceira ⇒ english: the third).

The capital of Terceira is Angra do Heroísmo with around 12,000 inhabitants. Angra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 because of its excellently preserved old town and the fortifications that date back to the early modern era.

Terceira is only populated on the coast. A large part of the island's population lives in the two cities of Angra and Vila da Praia da Vitória.