HORTA

town, on the southeastern coast of Faial Island, part of the Portuguese Azores archipelago in the North Atlantic. Founded in 1466 by the Fleming Jobst van Heurter under Portuguese royal authority, it later served as an American Atlantic whaling base (17001910). In the 20th century Horta became important as a submarine cable station, a seaplane base for transatlantic flights, the site of a powerful naval radio transmitter, and an Allied naval and air base. Its harbour is shielded on either side by a promontory of lava. Pop. (1981) 5,941.