Captaincies of the Azores very clear, as it has been both referred to as the "comendador da ilha de Santa Maria e nosso capitão nos Açores" ("Commander of the island of Santa Maria and Our captain of the Azores"), or alternately as the "comendador das ilhas dos Açores" ("Commander of the Azores"). The more probable interpretation of this role, being from the Order of Christ responsible for the administration of the islands, came from the "comenda" regime, referring to a "knighthood" or "commandery", normally associated with the Order in Portugal, but applied to the, then, populous island of Santa Maria in the archipelago. Still,
Nordeste, Azores Nordeste, Azores Nordeste (; Portuguese for northeast, hence that part of the island) is a municipality on the northeastern part of São Miguel Island in the Azores. The population in 2011 was 4,937, in an area of . The municipality Nordeste covers the northeastern part of the island São Miguel. It is the least populated on the island of São Miguel, and most of its interior is covered forests, mountainous peaks and river-valleys, punctuated by fertile pastureland. The highest elevations in this region include Pico Redondo (980 metres), Pico Verde (927 metres), Pico Bartolomeu (887 metres) and Pico da Vara