# Why does It seem that only Wikipedia includes the Formigas as part of the Portuguese Azores archipelago? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820 "2024-04-04T14:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820/1 "2024-04-04T14:16:06Z")
Why does It seem that only Wikipedia includes the Formigas as part of the Portuguese Azores archipelago? I have found no other websites that mention the Formigas as prt of the island chain. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820/2 "2024-04-04T14:20:38Z")
Perhaps because Wikipedia is created by individuals and either nobody else noticed, or nobody else cares that it’s there. Anyone can create an article in Wikipedia about anything they want. I doubt anyone fact checks every article created. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820/3 "2024-04-04T14:29:13Z")
Searching on ‘Azores’ I didn’t see references to the Formigas except Wikipedia, though I didn’t do a deep dive into them. Seaching on ‘Formigas’ shows reference after reference to them being part of the Azores. They are tiny rocks barely emerging above the waves, they are considered _islets_, which are islands, but there’s no reason to visit these or consider them a significant part of the Azores. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820/4 "2024-04-04T17:49:20Z")
They’re uninhabited, and mainly notable as a hazard to navigation, so they wouldn’t likely be included in tourist sites or the like. Are you referring to the WP article on the Azores, where they only get a brief mention, or the much more detailed article on the islets themselves? > **[Formigas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formigas)** > > The Formigas Islets (Portuguese: Ilhéus das Formigas \[fuɾˈmiɣɐʃ\]; literally, Islets of the Ants), sometimes referred to as the Formigas Bank, are a group of uninhabited rocky outcroppings in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago, an autonomous region of Portugal. The bank is located 43 kilometres (27 mi) northeast of Santa Maria and southeast of São Miguel, covering a surface area of approximately 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft). In the same area is the submerged Dollabarat Reef. The onl... ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820/5 "2024-04-04T17:59:07Z")
Geographically, the Formigas are part of the Azores. I’m not sure this is in dispute? They’re closer to Santa Maria than any other island in the Azores. Politically, [the EU considers them part of the Azores.](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2017/601971/IPOL_BRI(2017)601971_EN.pdf) [Britannica agrees that they are part of the Azores.](https://www.britannica.com/place/Azores) ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820/6 "2024-04-05T01:23:05Z")
I was referring to the WP on the Azores. Britannica I see also mentions the Formigas as part of the Azores. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820/7 "2024-04-05T01:24:58Z")
Thanks Lancia. I didn’t know about their proximity to Santa Maria. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-that-only-wikipedia-includes-the-formigas-as-part-of-the-portuguese-azores-archipelago/999820/8 "2024-04-05T04:26:21Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Anyone can create an article in Wikipedia about anything they want. I doubt anyone fact checks every article created. Actually, at the first stage of being an editor, if you create a new page, it gets reviewed by more experienced editors through the New Page Patrol. They do a quick skim to make sure that the article fits notability requirements, doesn’t raise any immediate problems under Wikipedia’s guidelines, doesn’t have any obvious accuracy issues. Once an article passes NPP, it becomes available for google. Also, new articles normally link to other articles, and editors who are interested in those other articles can notice the new article and take a look. Once an article is googlable, it shows up on searches and editors who are looking for related issues can come across it and review it. It’s a crowd-sourced system, rather than a top-down system, but it does catch problems with articles. Randall got it right, many years ago: [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png)