Rosais

Rosais
Civil Parish
Interior vista towards the northwestern coast and plateau of Rosais
Coat of arms
Official name: Freguesia dos Rosais
Country	Portugal
Autonomous Region	Azores
Island	São Jorge
Municipality	Velas
Localities	Arrifana, Canada da Trás, Canada das Faias, Fajã do João Dias, Quarteiro, Rosais
Center	Rosais
- elevation	244 m (801 ft)
- coordinates	38°43′3″N 28°15′0″W / 38.71750°N 28.25000°WCoordinates: 38°43′3″N 28°15′0″W / 38.71750°N 28.25000°W
Highest point	Monte Trigo
- elevation	504 m (1,654 ft)
- coordinates	38°44′33″N 28°17′27″W / 38.74250°N 28.29083°W
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Area	24.23 km^2 (9 sq mi)
- urban	.77 km^2 (0 sq mi)
Population	743 (2011)
Density	31 / km^2 (80 / sq mi)
Settlement	c. 1568
LAU	Junta Freguesia
- location	Ribeira D'Agua
- coordinates	38°43′2″N 28°15′3″W / 38.71722°N 28.25083°W
President Junta	André Filipe Galego Ataíde (CDS-PP)
President Assembleia	Gil António Bettencourt de Ávila (CDS-PP)
Timezone	Azores (UTC-1)
- summer (DST)	Azores (UTC0)
Postal Zone	9800-209
Area Code & Prefix	(+351) 292 XX XX XX
Patron Saint	Nossa Senhora do Rosário
Wikimedia Commons: Rosais (Velas)
Geographic detail from CAOP (2010)[1] produced by Instituto Geográfico Português (IGP)

Rosais is a civil parish in the municipality of Velas in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 743,^[2] in an area of 24.23 km².^[3]

History

Rosais already existed as a parish since 1568, when the first documents started appearing. It was considered the barn for the island of São Jorge, due to its great fertility and, event today, supports rich pasturelands.

Geography

The Estrada Regional linking Rosais with the southern neighbours of Velas

The frontier of the civil parish extends to the northwestern coast of the island of São Jorge, Ponta dos Rosais

The parish of Rosais is located on the island of São Jorge and extends approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Figueiras to Ponta, and approximately 820 inhabitants (2001 census).

The western corner of the island is essentially a plateau, with tall cliffs, until the Ponta dos Rosais, where the islands lighthouse stands as a beacon. The rest of the parish is pasture-lands and very small agglomerations, although the Parque Florestal das Sete Fontes breaks a portion of the territory. The Sete Fontes, which green-spaces and animal pens, realizes an annual festivals in honour of the emigrants that built the island.

Although many of the cliffs are shear drops, there are some debris fields along the coast that give rise to the islands' fajãs. In particular is the Fajã de João Dias, located five minutes by foot from the cliff tops, a small enclave of buildings where many of the early settlers established homes.

References

1. IGP, ed. (2010), Carta Administrativa Oficial de Portugal (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: Instituto Geográfico Português, retrieved 1 July 2011
2. Instituto Nacional de Estatística
3. Eurostat