Quizzes
Quick Facts
- Portuguese:
- Ilha Terceira
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Terceira Island: Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal.
Terceira Island
island, Portugal
Also known as: Ilha Terceira
Terceira Island, island, part of the Azores archipelago of Portugal, in the North Atlantic Ocean. It occupies an area of 153 square miles (397 square km).
Terceira (The Third) was so called because it was the third island in the Azores to be discovered by the Portuguese. The chief town and port is Angra do Heroísmo, which was formerly capital of the Azores. Its town centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. The only other town of importance is Praia da Vitória, with a breakwater-protected bay, which handles supplies for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) air base at Lajes on the northeast coast of the island. Terceira’s economy is basically agricultural, supplemented by a growing tourist trade.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.