Portugal’s Azores archipelago is made up of nine main islands.
The islands are volcanic and lie in the North Atlantic, roughly between mainland Portugal and North America. They are grouped geographically into three clusters: the Western Group, the Central Group and the Eastern Group. Flores and Corvo form the Western Group; the Central Group contains Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira; São Miguel and Santa Maria make up the Eastern Group.
The number nine refers to the major islands, not every small islet, reef or offshore rock. The Formigas, a small group of rocky islets near Santa Maria, are often mentioned separately and are not counted as a tenth main island.
São Miguel is the largest and most populous island, while Corvo is the smallest. Pico contains Mount Pico, the highest mountain in Portugal at 2,351 metres. The islands also sit near the junction of the North American, Eurasian and Nubian tectonic plates, which helps explain their volcanic landscapes and earthquake activity.