Pico Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ponta do Pico (Pico Alto) | |
|---|---|
 Ponta do Pico as viewed from Faial Island. |
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| Elevation: | 2351 m (7,713 feet) |
| Coordinates: | |
| Location: | Azores |
| Type: | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption: | 1720 |
| First ascent: | |
| Easiest route: | |
| State Party |  Portugal |
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| Type | Cultural | |
| Criteria | iii, v | |
| Identification | #1117 | |
| Region2 | Europe and North America | |
| Inscription History | ||
| Formal Inscription: | 2004 28th WH Committee Session |
|
| WH link: | http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1117 | |
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1 Name as officially inscribed on the WH List |
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Pico Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Pico, pron. IPA: ['iʎɐ du 'piku]) is an island of the Azores noted for its eponymous volcano, Ponta de Pico (Pico Alto), which is the highest mountain of Portugal and also the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
The island is 17.5 km south of São Jorge (Ilha de São Jorge) and just 7 km west of Faial (Ilha do Faial). It is 42 km long, has a maximum width of 15 km and an area of 447 km² making the second largest of the Azores islands. The main settlements are the capital Madalena, São Roque do Pico and Lajes do Pico, the total population is around 15,000.
The volcano is in the south-west of the island, at 38.47 N, 28.40 W. It is a basaltic stratocone 2,350 m high with steep sides. The last eruption was in 1963; prior major eruptions were in 1562-64, 1718 and 1720. The paths of the lava flows are still visible, those of the 16th century and 1718 were particularly substantial, extending for over 10 km.
The island supported a substantial whaling industry until 1980. The position of the island on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge means that deep water is very close. Active industries include tourism, ship-building and wine production. Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. It has a notable wine, the Pico Wine (Vinho do Pico).
[edit] External links
- Azores.com, a commercial site but with abundant information on Pico Island
- Ribeiras.com is a site dedicated to Ribeiras, one of the south end towns of Pico
- Relaxation Centre Pico Azores Video Video showing the land for the proposed "Relaxation Centre" on Pico, and links to other Pico Azores videos.
Alto Douro Wine Region | Historic centre of Angra do Heroismo, Azores | Monastery of Batalha | Convent of Christ, Tomar | Cultural Landscape of Sintra | Historic centre of Évora | Historic center of Guimarães | Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture | Laurisilva of Madeira | Monastery of Alcobaça | Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém, Lisbon | Historic centre of Oporto | Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Côa Valley
1 Sovereignity over territories in Antarctica currently suspended under the Antarctic Treaty System.
