ANGRA

angra, or angra do heroismo ("bay of heroism," a name given it in 1829, to commemorate its successful defence against the miguelist party), the former capital of the portuguese archipelago of the azores, and chief town of an administrative district, comprising the islands of terceira, st. george and graciosa. pop. (1900) 10,788. angra is built on the south coast of terceira in 38° 38' n. and in 27° 13' w. it is the headquarters of a military command, and the residence of a roman catholic bishop; its principal buildings are the cathedral, military college, arsenal and observatory. the harbour, now of little commercial or strategic importance, but formerly a celebrated naval station, is sheltered on the west and south-west by the promontory of mt. brazil; but it is inferior to the neighbouring ports of ponta delgada and horta. the foreign trade is not large, and consists chiefly in the exportation of pineapples and other fruit. angra served as a refuge for queen maria ii. of portugal from 1830 to 1833.