Horta (district)

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Coordinates: 38°35′28″N 28°41′47″W / 38.59111°N 28.69639°W / 38.59111; -28.69639
Horta
Distrito Autónomo da Horta
District (Distrito)
The district capital of Horta, which includes the parishes of Conceição, Matriz and Angústias
Official name: Distrito da Horta
Named for: Josse van Huerter; Portuguese transliteration of Heurter
Country  Portugal
Province Ilhas Adjacentes
Region Azores
District Horta
Municipalities Vila do Corvo, Horta, Lajes das Flores, Lajes do Pico, Madalena, São Roque do Pico
Center Faial
 - elevation 404 m (1,325 ft)
 - prominence 1,043 m (3,422 ft)
 - coordinates 38°35′28″N 28°41′47″W / 38.59111°N 28.69639°W / 38.59111; -28.69639
Highest point Pico Pequeno
 - location Ponta do Pico, Madalena, Pico
 - elevation 2,351 m (7,713 ft)
 - coordinates 38°28′6″N 28°23′56″W / 38.46833°N 28.39889°W / 38.46833; -28.39889
Lowest point Sea level
 - location Atlantic Ocean
 - elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Area 776.17 km2 (300 sq mi)
Incorporated 31 December 1940
 - Extinguished 22 August 1975
Autonomous district District administration
 - location Colégio da Companhia de Jesus, Horta, Ilhas Adjacentes (Azores)
 - elevation 18 m (59 ft)
 - coordinates 38°32′12″N 28°37′36″W / 38.53667°N 28.62667°W / 38.53667; -28.62667
Civil Governor[1] Rui Vasco de Vasconcelos e Sá Vaz
Timezone Azores (UTC-1)
 - summer (DST) Azores (UTC0)
ISO 3166-2 code PT-
Postal zone 9900-XXX Horta
Area code & prefix (+351) XX XX XX
Demonym Corvense; Florense; Faialense, Piquense
Geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010)

The District of Horta was a district of the Ilhas Adjacentes (Adjacent Islands) of the Azores, consisting of the dependent western islands of the archipelago, located in the Atlantic Ocean. The district of Horta, not to be confused with the modern municipality of Horta, existed until 1976 when it was abolished in the favour of the autonomy charter of the 1975 Portuguese Constitution.

History

View of the district seat of Horta from the World War II era warship SMS Schlesien
Officially referred to as the Distrito Autónomo da Horta (Autonomous District of Horta) since 31 December 1940, it was originally established after the Liberal administrative reforms of Mouzinhos da Silveira on 28 March 1836. During these reforms the Azores were redesignated dependencies of Portugal as the constitutionally-designated Ilhas Adjacentes (Adjacent Islands). The district's creation resulted from the division of the Província Ocidental dos Açores (Western Province of the Azores), its seat in the district capital of Angra do Heroísmo, into two areas with the latter's seat in Horta.

District autonomy was established during the Estado Novo regime of António de Oliveira Salazar in 1940.

The Autonomous District of Horta was extinguished, along with the Districts of Ponta Delgada and Angra do Heroísmo on 22 August 1975, with the establishment of the Junta Regional dos Açores (Regional Junta of the Azores), the provisional government that assumed the competencies of the administration during the region's transition to constitutional autonomy. With regional autonomy the districts were completely abolished: the 1976 Portuguese constitution defined in law the status of Autonomous Region without the existence of districts. Local government authority and administration fell to the upper-level local administrative units (the municipalities) and second-tier LAU IIs (the civil parishes (freguesias)).

Geography

The district of Horta included the western islands of the Azores, from the Central Group of islands (with the exception of Graciosa, São Jorge and Terceira) to Flores and Corvo. This region includes a terrestrial territory of 776.17 km² of islands and islets, and the following municipalities:

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Last civil governor of the District of Horta
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