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Madeira (pron. IPA mɐ'deiɾɐ}} or mɐ'dɐiɾɐ}}) is a Portuguese archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean that lies between and . It is one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, with Madeira and Porto Santo being the only inhabited islands. It is also part of the European Union. Madeira, known originally to the Romans as the Purple Islands, was rediscovered, possibly accidentally, by Portuguese sailors and settled by Portugal in 1418. It is a popular year-round resort, famed worldwide for its Madeira wine, a perfect climate, striking scenery, flowers, embroidery artisans, and New Years' Eve celebrations with a spectacular fireworks show.
Geography and Climate The Autonomous Region of Madeira is composed by Madeira Island, Porto Santo Island, Desertas Islands and Savage Islands. Funchal, the capital of Madeira Island, is on the south coast of the principal island, in . Other main cities are: Porto Santo Town also known as Vila Baleira, Ribeira Brava, Machico, Câmara de Lobos, Santa Cruz, Caniço, Ponta do Sol and Calheta. The archipelago lies about 360 miles from the coast of Africa, 535 miles from Lisbon, 230 from Gran Canaria, and 480 from Santa Maria, the nearest of the Azores. Madeira Island is the largest island of the group with 741 km², has a length of 30 geographical miles (57 km), an extreme breadth of 13 miles (22 km), and a coastline of 80 or 90 miles. Its longer axis lies east and west, in which direction it is traversed by a mountain chain, the backbone of the island, having a mean altitude of 4000 feet (1220 metres), from which many deep ravines radiate outward to the coast. The highest point on the island is Pico Ruivo, at 1862 meters (6107 feet)*. On the south there is very little left of the indigenous laurisilva forest which once clothed the whole island (until the original settlers decided to clear the land for farming by setting most of the island on fire) and gave it the name it bears (Madeira means "wood" in Portuguese), but on the north the valleys contain native trees of fine growth. These laurisilva forests, notably the forests on the northern slopes of Madeira Island, are designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. A long narrow and comparatively low rocky promontory forms the eastern extremity of the island, and here there is to be seen a tract of calcareous sand, known as the Fossil Bed, containing land shells and numerous bodies resembling the roots of trees, probably produced by infiltration. Its geographical position and mountainous landscape permit a very pleasing climate. Temperatures are about 22 °C (72 °F) in the summer and about 16 °C (61 °F) during the winter *. With its mild humidity, the weather of the island is classified as subtropical. Influenced by the Gulf Stream, sea water temperature is 22 °C during the summer and 16 °C in the winter. The islands are of volcanic origin. Capital city Today Funchal is a modern city with about 140,000 inhabitants. Funchal is located in a unique area; the natural geological features form an "amphitheatre" surrounding the city, which begins at the harbour and rises almost 1200 metres high on gentle slopes. This provides a natural shelter and was what attracted the first settlers. Madeira's capital for more than five centuries, Funchal is said to have been named as such because of the abundance of fennel (funcho- in portuguese) that was growing there. The harbour and climate combined with an excellent geographical position allowed Funchal to have a rapid population growth. Probably the most central point is the Sé Cathedral. Built between 1493 and 1514 by Gil Eanes it represents one of Madeira's numerous treasures. Municipalities
Culture and people The islands are noted as the source of Madeira wine. The islands are also known by its flowers and sub-tropical fruits. Traditional pastries in Madeira usually contain local ingredients, one of the most common being mel de cana, literally sugarcane honey - molasses. The traditional cake of Madeira is called 'Bolo de mel', which translates as (Sugarcane)'Honey Cake' and according to custom is never cut with a knife but broken into pieces by hand. It is a rich and heavy cake. Visitors to the island will see plentiful examples of handicraft on sale in shops. There are around 250,000 inhabitants (1991) in the two main islands, while only 4,800 live on Porto Santo Island. The population density is 337 inhabitants per square kilometre in Madeira and 112 in Porto Santo. Most of the early settlers were from the Portuguese regions of the Algarve and Minho. The islands have historical monuments, streets and plazas (praças) with many gardens and typical small towns. Biodiversity Madeira has three endemic birds: Zino's Petrel, Trocaz pigeon and Madeira Firecrest. It is also of importance for other breeding seabirds, including Madeiran Storm-petrel, North Atlantic Little Shearwater and Cory's Shearwater. History
Economy The setting-up of the Free Industrial Zone has led to the installation, under more favourable conditions, of infrastructures, production shops and essential services for small and medium-sized industrial enterprises. The Free Zone of Madeira, also called the Madeira International Business Centre, being a tax-privileged economic area, provides an incentive for companies, offering them financial and tax advantages via a whole range of activities exercised in the Industrial Free Zone, the Off-Shore Financial Centre, the International Shipping Register organisation, and the International Service Centre. The services sector makes the largest contribution to the formation of the regional gross value added as opposed to the agricultural sector, for which the share has continuously declined in the regional economy. Over the last few years, the regional economy has managed to open up and establish more internal and external competitiveness, so that its companies have become internationalised. The largest industries are associated with the activities of food, beverages (and especially Madeira wine) and construction. Tourism, one of the main activities Tourism is an important sector in the region's economy since it contributes 20% to the region's GDP, providing support throughout the year for commercial, transport and other activities and constituting a significant market for local products. The share in Gross Value Added of hotels and restaurants (9%) also highlights this phenomena. The island of Porto Santo, with its 9 km long beach and its climate, is totally devoted to tourism. Over the past decade it has recorded a substantial increase in its hotel accommodation capacity. The Madeira Autonomous Region has considerable potential since the necessary infrastructure has been established and adequate investment incentives introduced for expanding its hotel and catering structure in a controlled manner, without disturbing the socio-economic and environmental balance, and without neglecting the conservation of its nature, which is one of tourists' main reasons for visiting Madeira. Visitors are from the European Union, with Germany and the United Kingdom providing the main contingents alongside Portuguese tourists. The average annual occupancy rate was 57.4% in 2001, reaching its maximum in March and April, when it exceeds 70%. Levadas
Postage stamps In 1868, Portugal issued postage stamps for Madeira, consisting of the current stamps of Portugal overprinted "MADEIRA". This continued until 1928, when a series for Madeira was issued; but this was the last to be produced until 1980 (stamps of Portugal having been valid in Madeira since 1898), when Portugal began issuing stamps inscribed "Portugal Madeira" that were valid in both Madeira and Continental Portugal, similar to those issued for the Azores. Transportation The Islands have two airports, one in Santa Cruz (known as Funchal Airport (FNC)) on the Island of Madeira and the other in the city of Vila Baleira on Porto Santo Island. Flights to the islands are mostly made from Lisbon, but there are also direct flights from other major European cities and other countries, like Brazil and Venezuela. Funchal airport was infamous for its short runway built on a high embankment, falling away abruptly to the sea. The largest airliners which used the airport were the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. Recently the runway has been realigned and extended to 2.7km, allowing almost any modern airliner to visit the island. European Union citizens of the Schengen Treaty area can enter the islands freely, while those from other regions need identification. Transportation between the two main islands is done by plane or by ferries which allow for the transportation of vehicles. Visiting the interior of these islands is now very easy, due to large developments on the islands during Portugal's economic boom. There are modern roads, reaching all points of interest on the islands and there is also a good transportation network. Famous people The following people were either born or have lived part of their lives in Madeira: Islands and main Islets See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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