Pico Island

Pico Island
Native name:
Ilha do Pico
Nickname: The Black Island
The island of Pico, as seen from the north-west coast in the outskirts of Madalena with vineyards and Mount Pico in the background
Location of the island of Pico in the archipelago of the Azores
EtymologyPortuguese for peak
Geography
LocationAtlantic Ocean
Coordinates38°27′57″N 28°20′0″W / 38.46583°N 28.33333°W / 38.46583; -28.33333
ArchipelagoAzores
Area444.97 km2 (171.80 sq mi)[1]
Area rank3rd largest island in Portugal
Coastline151.84 km (94.349 mi)[1]
Highest elevation2,351 m (7713 ft)[1]
Highest pointMount Pico
Administration
Autonomous RegionAzores
Municipalities
Demographics
DemonymPicoense, Picaroto
PopulationDecrease 13,883 (2021)[2]
Pop. density31/km2 (80/sq mi)
LanguagesPortuguese
Ethnic groupsPortuguese
Additional information
Time zone

Pico Island (Ilha do Pico, Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈiʎɐ ðu ˈpiku]) is an island in the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores. The landscape features an eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In the tradition of the Portuguese poet, Raul Brandão, Pico is referred to as the Ilha Preta ("Black Island"), for its black volcanic soils, which nourish its UNESCO-designated vineyards that once allowed the development of the island's economy. Pico is the second largest and, geologically speaking, the most recently formed island of the Azores, being around 300,000 years old.[3]

  1. ^ a b c "Geografia Pico". iaram.azores.gov.pt. Azores Government. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  2. ^ "INE - Plataforma de divulgação dos Censos 2021 – Resultados Preliminares". censos.ine.pt. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Formação e principais erupções". azoresgreenmark.com. Retrieved 11 January 2021.