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São Miguel Island, also known as the "Green Island," is the largest (759 km2; 293 sq mi) and most populous of the Azores Islands. The island has around 140,000 inhabitants, most of whom live in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, the most populous place in the islands. The Sete Cidades twin lakes are lakes formed in a crater that has a perimeter of 12 km (7.5 miles).
São Miguel is 90 km from east to west, and between 8 and 15 km wide. Named the "Green Island", São Miguel is largely covered with fields and meadows in the lowlands, and laurisilva forests in the hills. Geysers and hot springs (caldeiras) are spread over the island.
Cities and towns:
São Miguel was the first of the Azores islands to be colonised, by the Portuguese in 1433.
Originally, São Miguel was two islands. In 1563, the island was joined by a volcanic eruption.