Angra do Heroismo, situated at 38° 38' 33 N, 27° 12' 48 W, was founded as a planned town in the 15th century to support navigation from Africa, the Orient, and America bound for Spain and Portugal. That need determined the settlement of a city around its port, although on unfavorable soil. The struggle for an Atlantic hegemony provoked an impressive fortification of the town including medieval structures and a fortress of the era of Philip II. The civil architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries is strikingly similar to Brazilian dwellings. The religious architecture spans styles from Mannerist to Baroque. In 1980 an earthquake caused substantial damage to the city. Domestic and foreign sensitivities prompted entry of the city center on the World Heritage List. Problems which persist include: remaining damage; the need for a new electrical wiring system; the poor quality of the stone; the redefinition of the harbor; and administrative constraints.