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,
Madalena, Azores Madalena. Whaling also developed, but it had its most profound effects in the communities that circled the island, yet not within the jurisdiction of Madalena. In the 20th Century, the dairy industry continued the boom and bust cycle, while ecotourism centered on Pico and the histo-cultural nature of the island developed after European integration. The municipality comprises the following six parishes: Madalena, Azores Madalena () is a municipality along the western coast of the island of Pico, in the Portuguese Azores. The population in 2011 was 6,049, in an area of 147.12 km². The municipality is fronted by the stratovolcano