Corvo, Azores
Encyclopedia
Vila do Corvo (ˈkoɾvu) is the smallest municipality
in the Portuguese
archipelago
of the Azores
, constituting the island of Corvo
in its entirety. It is the least populated of the Portuguese municipalities, and the only Portuguese municipality, by law, without a civil parish (freguesia
, the smallest administrative unit in Portugal).
Vila do Corvo, has at times been wrongly referred to as Vila Nova do Corvo. The village, the unique agglomeration on the island of Corvo, is constructed of small homes located along narrow roadways and alleys rising along the hills of the southern one-third of the island. The coastal area of the village is dominated by the Corvo Aerodrome and ports linking the community to the outside world.
The history of the Azores is linked to non-official exploration during the period of the late 13th century in maps, such as the Genoese
Atlas Medici (1351). The Medici Atlas referred to an Insula Corvi Marini (Island of the Marine Crow), in a seven-island archipelago, although it did not specify an island of Corvo. A later Mapa Catalão, from Spain, referred to two islands of Corvo and Flores in 1375.
During Portuguese official history, the discovery of the Western Group, occurred during the navigator Diogo de Teive
and his son, João de Teive's 1452 regress from the Banks of Newfoundland
, after his second voyage of exploration. The Portuguese Court began to refer to the new Ilhas das Flores (Islands of Flowers), identifying Corvo as the Ilha de Santa Iria (Island of Saint Irene), but other nautical charts continued to refer to this island as the Ilhéu das Flores (Islet of Island of Flowers), Ilha da Estátua (Island of the Statute), Ilha do Farol (Island of the Lighthouse) or Ilha de São Tomás (Island of Saint Thomas).
Regardless, it was only in the following year that King Afonso V of Portugal
"recognized" these new discoveries (20 January 1453), and donated them to his uncle, Afonso
, Duke of Braganza
and Count of Barcelos
. The first proprietor showed little interest in settlement, sending only the obligatory cattle to settle the island and establish his legtimate possession.
Fernão Telles, who owned the islands between 1475 and 1503, was the first to attempt to colonize Corvo (contracting the Flemish entrepreneur Willem van der Haegen
), but abandoned his settlement after a couple of years. By 1507, both islands of Corvo and Flores were identified by Valentim Fernandes is unpopulated. Diogo das Chagas
also referred to an initial settlement of 30 people, under contract of Terceirenses
Antão Vaz and Lopo Vaz de Azevedo (1508-1510), whom had little success on Corvo; they eventually returned to Terceira in 1515, leaving António Silveira de Machado in charge, but the settlement did not persist. Following these successive failed attempts to settle the land, Gonçalo de Sousa (second Captain-Donatário
of the islands of Corvo and Flores) was authorized to send slaves (likely from the island of Santo Antão, in the Cape Verde
archipelago) to Flores and Corvo as farmers and cattlemen (12 November 1548). Around 1580, colonists from Flores locate on Corvo, and a small self-sufficient, isolated settlement was formed. These Corvinos survived a meagre existence, dedicating their venture to subsistence crops and grazing sheep and/or goats, along with fishing offshore. Commerce and trade primarily occurred across the channel, yet, atmospheric conditions restricted maritime connections to the rest of the islands between March and September. AsGaspar Frutuoso
later indicated, by the end of the 16th century, the population consisted of houses "...of 20 neighbours, renters and masters' blacks...certain slaves, and married mulattos with slaves..."
Along with Flores, the island passed into the hands of Martinho de Mascarenhas in 1593. But, the situation economically became aggravated and desperate: the annual payments to the seigneur increased; the local population increased; the connection with the outside world reluctantly forced a level of self-sufficiency; the impossibility of increasing the area under cultivation; and the frequent incursions by English privateers, that marked the conflict during the Iberian Union
.
Much like other Azorean communities in the late 16th century, piracy and privateering marked their local history, even as some locals collaborated or befriended these raiders. In exchange for protection and payments, the islanders provided freshwater, provisions and men, as well as permitting the treatment of the sick and repairing vessels. But, in 1587, Corvo was sacked by English privateers who had attacked Lajes das Flores
. Then twice in 1632,Barbary coast pirates
(from the Ottoman Empire
) attempted to dis-embark in Porto da Casa, which was a only a small bay (and an area that was easily accessible to pirates). In one account, while the men were in the hills looking after their flocks and the women were in their homes, a large group of pirates arrived in the vicinity of the settlement. The pirates fired on the settlement, and were met by rocks thrown from the cliff-tops. During the battle, the local vicar carried his small image of Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Our Lady of the Rosary) into the battle, and place along the Canada da Rocha. The statue had for many years been placed in the area of Porto da Casa, but had recently been placed on the alter of the small chapel on the cliff. The battle was arduous, but 200 Corvinos were able to defeat the pirates, capturing many weapons, without a loss of life and while capturing a Moor. It is said, that the victory was credited to the statue, which was the patron saint of Corvo, and had mysteriously deflected many of the pirates' rounds. The pirates retreated, and did not return to the smallest island. Thereafter, the statue became known as the statue of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (Our Lady of Miracles). It was the second parish priest, the Florentine Inácio Coelho (brother of the Diogo das Chagas
), who was able to convince Martinho de Mascarenhas (the second Captain-Donatário
) to assist the parish "in the name of the Virgin Mary". Today the statue is located in the parochial church.
The parish of Corvo was created in 1674: its first pastor was the Faialense
Bartolomeu Tristão.
In the 18th century, American whalers arrived in Flores to recruit crews and harpoon
ers, and to re-provision their crews for their campaigns. Due to their experience, inhabitants from Corvo were sought after for these crews, thus beginning a close relationship with the New England
community of North America
that would continue into the 20th Century that, at times, was more direct then its connection to Lisbon
. Consequently, clandestine emigration was a constant of life and problem for the repressive Portuguese authorities who were preoccupied with defections from obligatory military service and reduction in the island tribute. The settlers on Corvo were obliged to pay tribute to their Captains-Donatário
, and after 1759 (with the death of the 8th Duke of Aveiro and Count of Santa Cruz), the Crown. During the Liberal Wars, a delegation from Corvo approached Regent Peter IV of Portugal to protest the grave sentiments of the population, and requesting that their payments be alleviated. Manuel Tomás de Avelar, chief of the Corvino delegation, traveled to Angra do Heroísmo
to petition the liberal leadership of the Angra Regency. It was Mouzinho da Silveira who attempted to mitigate this servitude with a proposal to reduce the tithe
payment (in wheat) and taxes, owing to the poverty on the island. A decree was promulgated on 14 May 1832 by Peter IV and signed in Ponta Delgada
, that reduced the tithe in half (20 moios of wheat) in the payment of wheat that was made to the Crown's Donatário, Pedro José Caupers, and the elimination of an annual payment of 80,000 réis
. The Crown would then assume the indemnity of the Donatário. The tribute was completely abolished by 1835.
On 20 June 1832, the Regent, Peter IV of Portugal, elevated the settlement of Corvo to status of village and municipal seat. Until this time, Corvo fell within the jurisdiction of Santa Cruz das Flores
, as a civil parish of its neighbor across the channel. In 1886, when the Civil Governor of the District of Horta
, Manuel Francisco de Medeiros, asked the inhabitants what they wanted on visiting the community, he was surprised by the humble request of a Portuguese national flag for the island. It came in use when Albert of Monaco
visited the island during his oceangraphic
and photographic
expeditions. It was also visited in 1924 by the Portuguese writer Raul Brandão
, who contributed to local myths and idyllic republican community with his work Ilhas Desconhecidas.
By the beginning of the 19th Century immigration continued unabated, except during the period between 1925 and 1955, as more Corvinos left the island in order for economic security (a process that continued well into the 1980s). By 1938, the island received its first permanent medical resident, João Rodrigues Ferreira da Silva, who lived on the island until 1945, and whom the only medical building was named for his involvement in the community.
In the last part of the 19th century, a drop in the population by 9% marked a period of emigration to the United States, generally associated with most of the archipelago. Yet, continued emigration between Corvo and New England would mark the demographic oscillation during the 20th century, as well; there were four identifiable periods:
Yet, in the last 14 years that population has seen a 12.5% increase, which is attributed to the following factors:
Although a small island, the municipal government even constructed a small campsite in the area of Praia da Areia, that includes washrooms, barbeques and picnic tables in order to support annual eco-friendly visitors to the island.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, constituting the island of Corvo
Corvo Island
Corvo Island , literally the Island of the Crow, is the smallest and the northernmost island of the Azores archipelago and the northernmost in Macaronesia, with a population of approximately 468 inhabitants constituting the smallest single municipality in Azores and in Portugal.-History:A small...
in its entirety. It is the least populated of the Portuguese municipalities, and the only Portuguese municipality, by law, without a civil parish (freguesia
Freguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
, the smallest administrative unit in Portugal).
Vila do Corvo, has at times been wrongly referred to as Vila Nova do Corvo. The village, the unique agglomeration on the island of Corvo, is constructed of small homes located along narrow roadways and alleys rising along the hills of the southern one-third of the island. The coastal area of the village is dominated by the Corvo Aerodrome and ports linking the community to the outside world.
History
The history of the Azores is linked to non-official exploration during the period of the late 13th century in maps, such as the Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
Atlas Medici (1351). The Medici Atlas referred to an Insula Corvi Marini (Island of the Marine Crow), in a seven-island archipelago, although it did not specify an island of Corvo. A later Mapa Catalão, from Spain, referred to two islands of Corvo and Flores in 1375.
During Portuguese official history, the discovery of the Western Group, occurred during the navigator Diogo de Teive
Diogo de Teive
Diogo de Teive was a captain and squire to the House of Infante D. Henrique during the Portuguese period of discovery.On January 1, 1451 he disembarked on the island of Terceira in the Azores from which he made his base. He realized two voyages of exploration to the West of the archipelago...
and his son, João de Teive's 1452 regress from the Banks of Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, after his second voyage of exploration. The Portuguese Court began to refer to the new Ilhas das Flores (Islands of Flowers), identifying Corvo as the Ilha de Santa Iria (Island of Saint Irene), but other nautical charts continued to refer to this island as the Ilhéu das Flores (Islet of Island of Flowers), Ilha da Estátua (Island of the Statute), Ilha do Farol (Island of the Lighthouse) or Ilha de São Tomás (Island of Saint Thomas).
Regardless, it was only in the following year that King Afonso V of Portugal
Afonso V of Portugal
Afonso V KG , called the African , was the twelfth King of Portugal and the Algarves. His sobriquet refers to his conquests in Northern Africa.-Early life:...
"recognized" these new discoveries (20 January 1453), and donated them to his uncle, Afonso
Afonso, 1st Duke of Braganza
Dom Afonso I, the 1st Duke of Braganza was the eighth Count of Barcelos, the 2nd Count of Neiva, 2nd Lord of Faria and the first Duke of Braganza.-Origins:...
, Duke of Braganza
Duke of Braganza
The title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
and Count of Barcelos
Count of Barcelos
Count of Barcelos is a title of nobility, the first to be granted in Portugal. It was created in 1298 by king Denis I and initially it was a non hereditary title, although most of the holders belonged to the Teles de Menezes family...
. The first proprietor showed little interest in settlement, sending only the obligatory cattle to settle the island and establish his legtimate possession.
Fernão Telles, who owned the islands between 1475 and 1503, was the first to attempt to colonize Corvo (contracting the Flemish entrepreneur Willem van der Haegen
Willem van der Haegen
Willem van der Haegen, at times Willelm van der Hagen or Willelm van der Haagen , transliterated to the Portuguese as Guilherme da Silveira , was a Flemish nobleman, entrepreneur, explorer and pioneer in the settlement of the islands of the...
), but abandoned his settlement after a couple of years. By 1507, both islands of Corvo and Flores were identified by Valentim Fernandes is unpopulated. Diogo das Chagas
Diogo das Chagas
Diogo das Chagas was a Franciscan monk and Azorean historian, author of Espelho Cristalino, an important resource on the colonization of the islands of the central and western groups of the Portuguese Azores, after 1640.-Biography:He was the son of Mateus Coelho da Costa, Captain-major of the...
also referred to an initial settlement of 30 people, under contract of Terceirenses
Terceira Island
Referred to as the “Ilha Lilás” , Terceira is an island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 56,000 inhabitants in an area of approximately 396.75 km²...
Antão Vaz and Lopo Vaz de Azevedo (1508-1510), whom had little success on Corvo; they eventually returned to Terceira in 1515, leaving António Silveira de Machado in charge, but the settlement did not persist. Following these successive failed attempts to settle the land, Gonçalo de Sousa (second Captain-Donatário
Donatorio
A Donatário, a Portuguese word roughly meaning 'endowed' sometimes anglicized as Donatary, was a private person who was bestowed by the Crown with a considerable piece of land, called a donátaria, which was handed over at his discretion, exempt from normal colonial administration through some...
of the islands of Corvo and Flores) was authorized to send slaves (likely from the island of Santo Antão, in the Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
archipelago) to Flores and Corvo as farmers and cattlemen (12 November 1548). Around 1580, colonists from Flores locate on Corvo, and a small self-sufficient, isolated settlement was formed. These Corvinos survived a meagre existence, dedicating their venture to subsistence crops and grazing sheep and/or goats, along with fishing offshore. Commerce and trade primarily occurred across the channel, yet, atmospheric conditions restricted maritime connections to the rest of the islands between March and September. AsGaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso was a Portuguese priest, historian and humanist from the island of São Miguel, in the Azores...
later indicated, by the end of the 16th century, the population consisted of houses "...of 20 neighbours, renters and masters' blacks...certain slaves, and married mulattos with slaves..."
Along with Flores, the island passed into the hands of Martinho de Mascarenhas in 1593. But, the situation economically became aggravated and desperate: the annual payments to the seigneur increased; the local population increased; the connection with the outside world reluctantly forced a level of self-sufficiency; the impossibility of increasing the area under cultivation; and the frequent incursions by English privateers, that marked the conflict during the Iberian Union
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
.
Much like other Azorean communities in the late 16th century, piracy and privateering marked their local history, even as some locals collaborated or befriended these raiders. In exchange for protection and payments, the islanders provided freshwater, provisions and men, as well as permitting the treatment of the sick and repairing vessels. But, in 1587, Corvo was sacked by English privateers who had attacked Lajes das Flores
Lajes das Flores
Lajes das Flores is municipality in the western part of the Azores; it includes the southern portion of the island of Flores and is encircled almost entirely by the Atlantic Ocean except for the north, where it is bordered by Santa Cruz das Flores. It has a population of 1,491 inhabitants and a...
. Then twice in 1632,Barbary coast pirates
Barbary corsairs
The Barbary Corsairs, sometimes called Ottoman Corsairs or Barbary Pirates, were pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers. This area was known in Europe as the Barbary Coast, a term derived from the name of its Berber...
(from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
) attempted to dis-embark in Porto da Casa, which was a only a small bay (and an area that was easily accessible to pirates). In one account, while the men were in the hills looking after their flocks and the women were in their homes, a large group of pirates arrived in the vicinity of the settlement. The pirates fired on the settlement, and were met by rocks thrown from the cliff-tops. During the battle, the local vicar carried his small image of Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Our Lady of the Rosary) into the battle, and place along the Canada da Rocha. The statue had for many years been placed in the area of Porto da Casa, but had recently been placed on the alter of the small chapel on the cliff. The battle was arduous, but 200 Corvinos were able to defeat the pirates, capturing many weapons, without a loss of life and while capturing a Moor. It is said, that the victory was credited to the statue, which was the patron saint of Corvo, and had mysteriously deflected many of the pirates' rounds. The pirates retreated, and did not return to the smallest island. Thereafter, the statue became known as the statue of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (Our Lady of Miracles). It was the second parish priest, the Florentine Inácio Coelho (brother of the Diogo das Chagas
Diogo das Chagas
Diogo das Chagas was a Franciscan monk and Azorean historian, author of Espelho Cristalino, an important resource on the colonization of the islands of the central and western groups of the Portuguese Azores, after 1640.-Biography:He was the son of Mateus Coelho da Costa, Captain-major of the...
), who was able to convince Martinho de Mascarenhas (the second Captain-Donatário
Donatorio
A Donatário, a Portuguese word roughly meaning 'endowed' sometimes anglicized as Donatary, was a private person who was bestowed by the Crown with a considerable piece of land, called a donátaria, which was handed over at his discretion, exempt from normal colonial administration through some...
) to assist the parish "in the name of the Virgin Mary". Today the statue is located in the parochial church.
The parish of Corvo was created in 1674: its first pastor was the Faialense
Faial Island
Faial Island , also known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese island of the Central Group of the Azores....
Bartolomeu Tristão.
In the 18th century, American whalers arrived in Flores to recruit crews and harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
ers, and to re-provision their crews for their campaigns. Due to their experience, inhabitants from Corvo were sought after for these crews, thus beginning a close relationship with the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
community of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
that would continue into the 20th Century that, at times, was more direct then its connection to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. Consequently, clandestine emigration was a constant of life and problem for the repressive Portuguese authorities who were preoccupied with defections from obligatory military service and reduction in the island tribute. The settlers on Corvo were obliged to pay tribute to their Captains-Donatário
Donatorio
A Donatário, a Portuguese word roughly meaning 'endowed' sometimes anglicized as Donatary, was a private person who was bestowed by the Crown with a considerable piece of land, called a donátaria, which was handed over at his discretion, exempt from normal colonial administration through some...
, and after 1759 (with the death of the 8th Duke of Aveiro and Count of Santa Cruz), the Crown. During the Liberal Wars, a delegation from Corvo approached Regent Peter IV of Portugal to protest the grave sentiments of the population, and requesting that their payments be alleviated. Manuel Tomás de Avelar, chief of the Corvino delegation, traveled to Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo , locally referred to as Angra, is a municipality and city on the island of Terceira, within the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores. The municipal area has a population of 35,581 and an area of . Along with Praia da Vitória to the north, it is one of two municipal...
to petition the liberal leadership of the Angra Regency. It was Mouzinho da Silveira who attempted to mitigate this servitude with a proposal to reduce the tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
payment (in wheat) and taxes, owing to the poverty on the island. A decree was promulgated on 14 May 1832 by Peter IV and signed in Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...
, that reduced the tithe in half (20 moios of wheat) in the payment of wheat that was made to the Crown's Donatário, Pedro José Caupers, and the elimination of an annual payment of 80,000 réis
Portuguese real
The real was the unit of currency of Portugal from around 1430 until 1911. It replaced the dinheiro at the rate of 1 real = 840 dinheiros and was itself replaced by the escudo at a rate of 1 escudo = 1000 réis...
. The Crown would then assume the indemnity of the Donatário. The tribute was completely abolished by 1835.
On 20 June 1832, the Regent, Peter IV of Portugal, elevated the settlement of Corvo to status of village and municipal seat. Until this time, Corvo fell within the jurisdiction of Santa Cruz das Flores
Santa Cruz das Flores
Santa Cruz das Flores is a municipality in Portugal, located across from the island of Corvo on the island of Flores, in the western part of the autonomous region of Azores. With an area of 70.9 km² its approximately 2,500 inhabitants occupy the northern half of the island...
, as a civil parish of its neighbor across the channel. In 1886, when the Civil Governor of the District of Horta
Horta (district)
The District of Horta was a district of the Ilhas Adjacentes , consisting of the dependent western islands of the archipelago, located in the Atlantic Ocean...
, Manuel Francisco de Medeiros, asked the inhabitants what they wanted on visiting the community, he was surprised by the humble request of a Portuguese national flag for the island. It came in use when Albert of Monaco
Albert I, Prince of Monaco
Albert I was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 10 September 1889 until his death.-Early life:...
visited the island during his oceangraphic
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
and photographic
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
expeditions. It was also visited in 1924 by the Portuguese writer Raul Brandão
Raul Brandão
Raul Germano Brandão was a Portuguese writer, journalist and military officer, notable for the realism of his literary descriptions and by the lyricism of his speech. Brandão was born in Foz do Douro, a parish of Porto, where he spent the majority of his youth...
, who contributed to local myths and idyllic republican community with his work Ilhas Desconhecidas.
By the beginning of the 19th Century immigration continued unabated, except during the period between 1925 and 1955, as more Corvinos left the island in order for economic security (a process that continued well into the 1980s). By 1938, the island received its first permanent medical resident, João Rodrigues Ferreira da Silva, who lived on the island until 1945, and whom the only medical building was named for his involvement in the community.
Geography
In the last part of the 19th century, a drop in the population by 9% marked a period of emigration to the United States, generally associated with most of the archipelago. Yet, continued emigration between Corvo and New England would mark the demographic oscillation during the 20th century, as well; there were four identifiable periods:
- the first period, until 1925, when the United States began restricting immigration and where the local population dminished by 18%;
- the second period, until 1955, during a period of emigration to Latin America, principally to Brazil that was fairly insignificant, but laterally resulted in a 10% increase in the population;
- a third period, which lasted until the beginning of the 1980s, coincident with a new wave of emigration, resulting in a 49% decrease in the local residents; and
- finally, from the 1980s until the beginning of the 21st century, resulting from new restrictions on emigration, and local social and economic development, that resulted little change.
Yet, in the last 14 years that population has seen a 12.5% increase, which is attributed to the following factors:
- the return of émigrés; and
- the appearance of new employment opportunities, in addition to the creation of a basic education primary school, which helped to fix the young population.
Economy
Generally, the inhabitants dedicate themselves to fishing, agriculture, or raising cattle and most services on the island support these activities, as well as annual tourism.Although a small island, the municipal government even constructed a small campsite in the area of Praia da Areia, that includes washrooms, barbeques and picnic tables in order to support annual eco-friendly visitors to the island.
Civic
- Moinhos de Vento (Windmills) - a group of three windmills located along the Caminhos dos Moinhos, constructed of volcanic rock in a conical form, with a wooden roof and octaganol sails, accessed by elevated doorway with volcanic lateral symmetrical steps.