Azores inhabitants. The nine islands that compose the archipelago occupy a surface area of , that includes both the main islands and many islets located in their vicinities. Each of the islands has its own distinct geomorphological characteristics that make them unique: Corvo (the smallest island) is a crater of a major Plinian eruption; Flores (its neighbor on the North American Plate) is a rugged island carved by many valleys and escarpments; Faial characterized for its shield volcano and caldera (Cabeço Gordo); Pico, is the highest point, at , in the Azores and continental Portugal; Graciosa is known for its active
Azores Minister José Manuel Durão Barroso held a summit there days before the commencement of the Iraq War. The archipelago of the Azores is located in the middle of the northern hemisphere of the Atlantic Ocean and extends along a west-northwest to east-southeast orientation (between 36.5°–40° North latitudes and 24.5°–31.5° West longitudes) in an area approximately wide. The islands of the Azores emerged from what is called the Azores Plateau, a 5.8 million km region that is morphologically accented by a depth of . From a geostructural perspective the Azores is located above an active triple junction between three of the