Angústias

Angústias
Civil Parish
The urbanized area of Angústias, alongside Monte Escuro and Monte da Guia, showing the bay of Porto Pim
Coat of arms
Official name: Freguesia das Angústias
Name origin: Portuguese for distress; derived from the religious parish's name Nossa Senhora das Angústias
Country	Portugal
Autonomous Region	Azores
Island	Faial
Municipality	Horta
Localities	Caminho do Meio, Courelas, Pasteleiro, Port Pim, Termo da Igreja, Vigia
Center	Termo da Igreja
- elevation	11 m (36 ft)
- coordinates	38°31′41″N 28°37′38″W / 38.52806°N 28.62722°W / 38.52806; -28.62722Coordinates: 38°31′41″N 28°37′38″W / 38.52806°N 28.62722°W / 38.52806; -28.62722
Highest point
- location	Monte Carneiro
- elevation	146 m (479 ft)
- coordinates	38°38′41″N 28°32′5″W / 38.64472°N 28.53472°W / 38.64472; -28.53472
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Area	3.79 km2 (1 sq mi)
- urban	1.37 km2 (1 sq mi)
Population	2,418 (2011)
Density	638/km2 (1,652/sq mi)
Settlement	c. 1468-1499
- Parish	c. 1664
- Civil Parish	28 November 1684
LAU	Junta Freguesia
- location	Rua Conde de Ávila
- coordinates	38°31′38″N 28°37′41″W / 38.52722°N 28.62806°W / 38.52722; -28.62806
President Junta	José Rodrigues da Costa (PS)
President Assembleia	Manuel Pereira Alvernaz de Melo (PS)
Timezone	Azores (UTC-1)
- summer (DST)	Azores (UTC0)
Postal Zone	9960-040
Area Code & Prefix	(+351) 292 XX XX XX
Patron Saint	Nossa Senhora das Angústias
Location of the civil parish of Angústias within the municipality of Horta
Website: http://www.cmhorta.pt
Geographic detail from CAOP (2010) produced by Instituto Geográfico Português (IGP)

Angústias is one of the three civil parish that comprise the urban area of the city of Horta, on the island of Faial in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. This is an economically active, densely populated area. The population in 2011 was 2,418, in an area of 3.79 km². Due to its commercial nature, the parish is one of the island's primary destinations for tourism, due to the concentration of historical sights and shopping.

The first recorded reference to settlers in the area of Angústias referred to the Portuguese: Vila de Orta (in 1532). Since 1468, the island and parish had been under the administration of Josse van Huerter, a Flemish leader during the early colonization of the island of Faial. The settlement and growth of the village of Orta (later Horta) was concentrated in two nuclei: an interior settlement in the valley of Flamengos and the southwestern religious parish of Nossa Senhora das Angústias (English: Our Lady of Anguish).

Several smaller agglomerations developed within the area of Angústias. Porto Pim, a sheltered bay between Monte Escuro and Monte da Guia, became a natural refuge for the first colonists, where they could easily load and unload cargo and supplies. Along the southern coast, the area of Pasteleiro, became the site of the first commercial businesses associated with the pastel or woad industry (first started by van Huerter). On the western edge of Horta Bay, the first homes were constructed, around the small chapel of Santa Cruz (where Josse van Huerter and his wife, Beatriz de Macedo, were buried).

In 1567, the Fort of Santa Cruz was built for the defense of the island. Unfortunately, these fortifications, the convents and many of the churches, were sacked by English privateers in 1589 and 1597, and the buildings burned to the ground. By the beginning of the 17th century, several new military/defensive structures were built in order to protect the growing community, including the Military Doors of Porto Pim (Portuguese: Portões Miltares do Porto Pim), the Fort of São Sebastião (Portuguese: Forte de São Sebastião), the Fort of Greta (Portuguese: Forte de Greta), and the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Guia (Portuguese: Forte de Nossa Senhora da Guia).