Atlantic archipelagic regions: self-government and ocean management in the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands

This paper examines regional government competences in relation to their maritime space and management resources. The inherently oceanic character of insular regions has had an influence on self-governing which is now clearly oriented towards the sea environment on which they depend for development. At the same time, their insularity sets limitations on them and places them in an unadvantageous position in relation to other non-insular regions. The tendency to deepen their political autonomy, emphasizing the maritime dimension of their territory, results in greater claims for competences to manage the ocean, as well as in the emergence of tensions between central government and regional government.