PORTUGAL
BIOSPHERE RESERVE OF FAJÃS DE SÃO JORGE.
Year of creation
2016
The Biosphere Reserve of Fajãs de São Jorge extends over the entire terrestrial area of the island, including a surrounding marine area.
The uniqueness of this landscape stems from its elongated and narrow shape, along an extensive volcanic mountain range in the center. This feature leads to a contrast between the imposing and abrupt cliffs and the fajãs or coastal plains which resulted from landslides and lava flows. This contrasting landscape is home to a high diversity of terrestrial, coastal, and maritime fauna and flora, including several endemic species.
The name of this reserve is attached to the island's most emblematic landscape units, the fajãs of São Jorge. The fajãs are flat areas located on the coastline, framed between the sea and the cliffs. They are equally important from a geological and ecological standpoint as they are from a cultural one.
The history and the very identity of São Jorge's inhabitants is strictly linked to the fajãs, which enabled the flourishing of certain agricultural crops and livestock-raising practices.
Contacts
295403860
parque.natural.sjorge@azores.gov.pt
Links
