Corvo Island

This article is about the Island, for the municipality see Corvo, Azores

Corvo

Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	39°41′53.682″N 31°6′15.678″W
Archipelago	Azores Islands
Administration
Portugal
Demographics
Population	468

Corvo Island as seen from Flores, Azores

Corvo Island (Portuguese: Ilha do Corvo "Crow Island", Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈiʎɐ du ˈkoɾvu]) is the smallest and the northernmost island of the Azores Archipelago and the northernmost in Macaronesia, with a population of approximately 468 inhabitants (2006) constituting the smallest single municipality in Azores and in Portugal.

Geography

The northernmost island of the archipelago has an area of 17.13 km²; it is located at 39º 40’ N by 31° 05’ W of a semi-circular form, 6.5 km long by 4 km wide. Along with the island of Flores, Corvo is located on the North American Plate along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between the European and American plates.

Its main feature is the extinct volcano Monte Gordo, whose crater (the Caldeirão) is the predominant feature. This crater, with a 3.7 km perimeter and 300 metre depth, is populated by various lakes, volcanic cones and crowned by turbary fields. The highest point on the island is the “Morro dos Homens” on the southern flank of the Caldeirão, at 718 m above sea level. Other features include: “Lomba Redonda”, “Coroa do Pico”, “Morro da Fonte”, “Espigãozinho” and “Serrão Alto.”

The geography includes hills with forests to the east and rocky ledges to the west and north. The town itself is located in the southwestern part of the island.

History

The island was discovered in 1452 by Diogo de Teive. It has been linked with the Azores since its founding.

See also

• List of volcanoes in Azores

References

• Global Volcanism Program: Corvo
• Gardner, N. (2006). "Corvo". hidden europe magazine. 9: 30–31.

External links

• The Azores Islands, Site with abundant information about Corvo Island