Rabo de Peixe
| Rabo de Peixe | |||
| Vila de Rabo de Peixe | |||
| Civil Parish | |||
 The main harbour and port of Rabo de Peixe, the life-blood of the community
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| Official name: Freguesia de Rabo de Peixe | |||
| Name origin: Portuguese for fishtail | |||
| Country |  Portugal |
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| Autonomous Region |  Azores |
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| Island | São Miguel | ||
| Municipality | Ribeira Grande | ||
| Localities | Charco, Custódio, Labardas, Nogueira, Pico da Madeira, Pico da Varanda, Pico do Bode, Pico do Refugio, Rebentão, Santana, São Sebastião, Senhora da Conceição, Tulha | ||
| Center | Rabo de Peixe | ||
| - elevation | 43 m (141 ft) | ||
| - coordinates | 37°48′37″N 25°35′10″W / 37.81028°N 25.58611°WCoordinates: 37°48′37″N 25°35′10″W / 37.81028°N 25.58611°W | ||
| Highest point | Pico Dr. Ferreira | ||
| - coordinates | 37°47′7″N 25°35′7″W / 37.78528°N 25.58528°W | ||
| Lowest point | Sea Level | ||
| - location | Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Area | 16.96 km2 (7 sq mi) | ||
| - urban | 1.49 km2 (1 sq mi) | ||
| Population | 8,866 (2011) | ||
| Density | 523/km2 (1,355/sq mi) | ||
| Settlement | c. 1500 | ||
| LAU | Junta Freguesia | ||
| - location | Rua do Rosário | ||
| - elevation | 43 m (141 ft) | ||
| - coordinates | 37°48′45″N 25°34′56″W / 37.81250°N 25.58222°W | ||
| President Junta | Maria do Céu Gonçalves Estrela (PS) | ||
| President Assembleia | Maria Leonor Tavares Penacho (PS) | ||
| Timezone | Azores (UTC-1) | ||
| - summer (DST) | Azores (UTC0) | ||
| Postal Zone | 9600-124 | ||
| Area Code & Prefix | (+351) 292 XX XX XX | ||
| Demonym | Rabo-peixense | ||
| Patron Saint | Senhor Bom Jesus | ||
 Location of the civil parish of Rabo de Peixe in the municipality of Ribeira Grande
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| Website: http://www.jf-rabodepeixe.pt/ | |||
| Geographic detail from CAOP (2010) produced by Instituto Geográfico Português (IGP) | |||
Rabo de Peixe (Portuguese for "tail of the fish") is a civil parish in the municipality of Ribeira Grande in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 8,866, in an area of 16.96 km². It is the most populous and most densely populated parish in the municipality.
It is uncertain when the territory was settled, although it is assumed that the settlement of Ribeira Grande may have directly affected colonization of the area. Local sources put the colonization at around the 15th century, by Flemish and Moorish settlers.
Its toponomy was first defined by Father Gaspar Frutuoso during the 16th century, who reflected on the fact that the area received its name owing to the physical topography. As he indicated, the terrestrial physiography, and specifically the land around one of its bays resembled a fish tail, or in Portuguese rabo de peixe (literally tail of the fish). Similarly, another reference by the priest and chronicler indicated that the area was also known for the discovery of the tail of a large unknown species of fish, and may have received its name from this legendary account.
The Church of Senhor Bom Jesus was constructed in the 18th century: the project was started in 1690 and concluded in 1735 in the Baroque style typical of the islands.
In the locality of Santana, a fertile plain that extends from Rabo de Peixe until the edge of the town of Ribeira Grande was used during the era of the Second World War as a military airfield. Following 1946, it was transformed into the islands first civilian airport, before being abandoned in favour of the Ponta Delgada-Nordela air strip along the southern coast.
Rabo de Peixe was elevated to the status of town on 25 April 2004.
Owing to the importance of the port the economy and life of the civil parish, on the 19 August 2012, then-president Carlos Cesar announced the remodelling and extension of the port facility, which includes two new wings: a 285 metres (935 ft) southern dock, and the a 45 metres (148 ft) northern dock, that runs perpendicular. The project who allow the shelter of ships and equipment within a 3.5 hectares (0.035 km2) area. In addition, the port facility would include a 100 metres (330 ft) floating dock and three piers, in addition to expansion of port facilities to include ramps and docks for the repair of boats, fish-houses and a new 600 metres (2,000 ft) roadway that would circle the complex (linked to the main roadway).
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