User:Zeorymer/sandbox5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Political governance in the Azores has developed since the archipelago was discovered and settled by Portuguese explorers and colonists in the 15th century. Many administrative systems were imposed or applied to the territory, resulting in the establishment or re-configuration of the political and administrative dynamics that governed the islands. Some of these were ephemeral, such as the provincial prefectures and governmental delegates, while other others consisted of hundreds of title-holders, who lasted for long periods, such as the Donatory-captains or Civil Governors.
The unique exception to these trends was the foundation of political autonomy, where the concept of ultimate authority was replaced by constitutional imperatives, exemplified by the three branches: Portuguese sovereignty (in the case of the extinct role of Minister of the Republic and the Representative of the Republic); the legislature (represented by the President of the Legislative Assembly); and the executive (in the figure of the President of the Government).
In order to understand these periods of governance, the following chronogram identifies the approximate periods in which the territory in the Azores was governed: