[ManuelD]

If you have blue eyes and a fair complexion now you know why.





The Azore Islands were discovered by the Portuguese in 1427. At that time, they were uninhabited, but the Portuguese began to settle there in 1439. Then, later under Prince Henry the Navigator, the islands were colonized in some part by the Flemish, which is why so many of the people of the Azores have blue eyes and fair complexions. Later settlers included Jewish farmers, Bretons, and some Italians, English, and Scots. The island of Santa Maria was the first to be discovered and was where Columbus' crews paused when they returned from their first trip upon discovering America. The islands were named after a bird from the hawk family that was found in the area. The Azores are thought by some to be part of the sunken continent of Atlantis.

During the period from 1580 - 1640, the Azores were occupied by Spain and used as a staging base for the Spanish fleets. The seas surrounding the islands were the site of many a fierce sea battle between France and Spain.

The Azores were declared an autonomous, or self-governing, region of Portugal in 1976.