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,
Norte Grande (Azores) many inactive volcanic cones. The parish is home to a milk processing factory, used in the production of the island's epitimous Queijo de São Jorge, a protected denomination (DOP) of cheeses. Norte Grande is the seat of the "Sociedade Filarmónica Recreio Nortense", founded in 1931, one of the premier philharmonic bands on the island. Norte Grande (Azores) Norte Grande is a civil parish in the municipality of Velas on the Portuguese island of São Jorge in the Azores; owing to the existence of an ecumenical faith community throughout its history, the parish has also taken on the name of its