Formigas

Formigas Islets ( ; ), sometimes referred to as the Formigas Bank, are a group of uninhabited rocky outcroppings in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago, an autonomous region of Portugal. The bank is located northeast of Santa Maria and southeast of São Miguel, covering a surface area of approximately . The submerged Dollabarat Reef is in the same area. The only structure on the islets is a lighthouse located on Formigão (Big Ant), the largest islet.

Key facts

Islands.name: Formigas
Islands.native_name: Ilhéus das Formigas
Islands.sobriquet: Formigas Bank
Islands.image_name: FormigasFormigao.jpg
Islands.image_caption: The lighthouse on Formigão, the largest islet of the Formigas
Islands.pushpin_map: Portugal Azores
Islands.pushpin_relief: yes
Islands.pushpin_map_caption: Location of the islets in the Azores
Islands.etymology: Formigas, Portuguese plural for ants
Islands.location: Atlantic Ocean
Islands.area_km2: 0.009
Islands.country: Portugal
Islands.country_admin_divisions_title: Autonomous region
Islands.country_admin_divisions: Azores
Islands.population: Uninhabited
Islands.website: https://siaram.azores.gov.pt/vulcanismo/banco-formigas/_intro.html

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Area: 0.009
Elevation: 11
Image: Formigas Islets - no watermark.jpg

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Commons category: Formigas Islets (Azores)

Sources (2)

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~7 min read

Article

5 sections

Contents

History
Formigas Lighthouse
Geography
Biome
References

==History== left|thumb|upright=2|200px|Map of 1849 The Formigas were discovered by Portuguese explorers Diogo de Silves and Gonçalo Velho Cabral in 1431 during their journey to Madeira. The islets were neglected due to the contemporaneous discovery of the neighboring inhabitable islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel. In the 16th century, Portuguese chronicler Gaspar Frutuoso reported on the Formigas' rich marine life.