Azores Biscay Ridge

The Azores rise from the North Atlantic as nine volcanic islands arranged in three groups over more than 600 kilometres. Their peaks and submerged slopes stand above the Azores Plateau, a restless meeting point of the North American, Eurasian, and African plates. Portuguese settlement unfolded during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when settlers cleared land, raised livestock, and cultivated grain, vines, and sugar. The archipelago became a navigational landmark for ships crossing between Europe and North America, and the seas around the ridge carried fishing and trade traffic between the islands and the Biscay coast.