Praia do Norte

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Statistics
Island:	Faial Island
Municipality:	Horta
Area: -Total -Water -Rank	14 km² km²
Population: (2001)  - Total  - Density  - Rank	259 18.5/km²
Elevation:  -lowest:  -centre:  -highest:	Atlantic Ocean about 200 m (centre) western part

Praia do Norte (Portuguese for "north beach" in which is located in a part of the island of Horta) is a parish in the island and the district of Horta in the Azores. The population in 2001 is 259, its density is 18.5/km² and the area is 14 km². It is one of the least populated and underpopulated parish in Horta. Praia do Norte is linked with the road encircling the island of Horta.

Contents 1 Nearest parishes 2 Geography 3 Population history 4 History, Sites of Interest and other information 4.1 Eruption of 1672 4.2 The Fajã Oil Spill 5 Other 6 Economy 7 External links

[edit] Nearest parishes

• Salão, west and southwest
• Ribeirinha, south

[edit] Geography

The area forms a part of the Capelo volcanic complex with geographic monuments of large scientific interests. Praia do Norte has geographic features including Baía de Ribeira das Cabras, a Fajã da Praia. The mountains and the volcanic crater is situated to the southeast.

[edit] Population history

• 1643: 247
• 18th century: 712
• 2001: 259

[edit] History, Sites of Interest and other information

After the 1672 eruption, the inhabitants returned and gradually planted vineyards and fruit trees and transformed Praia do Norte into an agricultural parish. The population in the 17th century had 712 inhabitants, higher than today. Praia do Norte was elevated to a parish in October 1, 1845 on its entirety.

[edit] Eruption of 1672

Segundo Américo Costa, from Dicionário Corográfico, a large part of the inhabitants of both parishes experienced a seismic crisis. The eruption destroyed houses and farmlands mainly in Ribeira do Cabo (Capelo) and Lameiros and reached the parish.

[edit] The Fajã Oil Spill

The oil spill occurred 300 m near Praia da Fajã. The ship navigated with the Bermuda flag and was headed to Montreal and to Valencia, Spain. of the Universidade dos Açores. The oil that spilled from the ship was collected. It was transported 800 containers of which 3 was environmentally hazardous and was filled with 2 thousand tons of fuel oil. Towboats "São Luís" from the port of Horta and "São Miguel" from the port of Ponta Delgada arrived and helped a little, the arrival of the Russian towboat "Fortiy Frilov" helped and little was made due to the risk of the "CP Valour" to break away. The hindrance of the ship brought world attention from Fajã da Praia in Faial island.

[edit] Other

Its traditional food are a slaty pig stew, garlic wine, corncake and a few more.

[edit] Economy

In the middle of the 20th century, vineyards, orange groves and potato fields suffered huge losses. Its main source of income today are fishing and boiat construction. During the eruption of 1672, it suffered a huge destruction of agriculture. Cattle is the main production today in Praia do Norte as well as rock extraction from the sands of the beach which makes a small production.

[edit] External links

• azoren-online.com - (in German)