Captaincies of the Azores Captaincies of the Azores The Captaincies of the Azores () were the socio-political and administrative territorial divisions used to settle and govern the overseas lands of the Azores by the Kingdom of Portugal. These territories, a segment of the Captaincies of the Portuguese Empire, which usually conformed to the individual islands, allowing the stewardship of the King through the Donatary and Captaincy system. Following the discovery of the first islands in the Atlantic, chiefly Madeira, and slow settlement of those possessions, the Portuguese needed a mechanism for control that did not necessitate dislocation by hereditary princes or monarchs. The Donatário
Protected areas of the Azores Azores, was Decree 78/72 (7 March 1972), which created the "Reserva Integral da Caldeira do Faial" ("Integrated Reserve of the Faial Caldera"), which was closely followed by Decree 79/72 (8 March 1972), that established the "Reserva Integral da Montanha da ilha do Pico" ("Integrated Reserve of the Mountain of the Island of Pico"). After a hiatus of two years, Decree 152/74 (15 April 1974) was published that created on the island of São Miguel the "Reserva da Lagoa do Fogo" ("Reserve of Lagoa do Fogo"), which was subject to forestry service guidelines along its perimeter. These regulatory frameworks were in