Madeira Totally Explained

Madeira (pron. IPA [mɐ'deiɾɐ] or [mɐ'dɐiʀɐ]) is a Portuguese archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean that lies between and . It is one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, with Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island being the only inhabited islands. It belongs politically and culturally to Europe, even if it can be considered to be a geographical part of the African Plate.
Madeira, known originally to the Romans as the Purple Islands, was rediscovered, possibly accidentally, by Portuguese sailors and settled by Portugal as early as 1418 or as late as 1420. The archipelago is considered to be the first discovery of the exploratory period initiated by Henry the Navigator of Portugal. It is a popular year-round resort, noted for its Madeira wine, flowers, and embroidery artisans, as well as its New Year's Eve celebrations that feature a spectacular fireworks show, which is the largest in the world according to the Guinness World Records.

Geography and climate

The Autonomous Region of Madeira is composed of 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 and Santana.
The archipelago lies about 360 miles from the coast of Africa, 535 miles from Lisbon, 230 miles from Gran Canaria, and 480 miles from Santa Maria, the nearest of the Azores.
Madeira Island is the largest island of the group with an area of 741 km², a length of 30 geographical miles (57 km), a breadth of 13 miles (22 km) at its widest point, and a coastline of 80 to 90 miles. Its longer axis lies east and west, along which lies a mountain chain with a mean altitude of 4000 feet (1220 metres), considered the backbone of the island from which many deep ravines radiate outward to the coast. Its most famous cliff, the Cabo Girão, is one of the biggest in Europe. The highest point on the island is Pico Ruivo, at 1862 meters (6107 feet)(External Link

).
   In the south, there's very little left of the indigenous laurisilva forest which once covered the whole island (the original settlers set fire to the island to clear the land for farming) and gave it the name it now bears (Madeira means "wood" in Portuguese). However, in 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, on which lies a tract of calcareous sand known as the Fossil Bed. It contains land shells and numerous bodies resembling the roots of trees, probably produced by infiltration.
   Madeira Island's geographical position and mountainous landscape result in a very pleasant climate. Temperatures are about 22 °C (72 °F) in the summer and about 16 °C (61 °F) during the winter (External Link

). 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.

History

Pre-Portuguese times

Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands, the position of which with reference to the Fortunate Islands or Canaries might seem to indicate Madeira islands. Plutarch (Sertorius, 75 AD) referring to the military commander Quintus Sertorius (d. 72 BC), relates that after his return to Cadiz, "he met seamen recently arrived from Atlantic islands, two in number, divided from one another only by a narrow channel and distant from the coast of Africa 10,000 furlongs. They are called Isles of the Blest." The estimated distance from Africa, and the closeness of the two islands, seem to indicate Madeira and Porto Santo.
There is a romantic tale about two lovers, Robert Machim and Anna d'Arfet in time of the King Edward III of England, fleeing from England to France in 1346, were driven off their course by a violent storm, and cast on the coast of Madeira at the place subsequently named Machico, in memory of one of them. On the evidence of a portolan dated 1351, preserved at Florence, Italy, it would appear that Madeira had been discovered long before that date by Portuguese vessels under Genoese captains.

Portuguese discovery

In 1419 two of the captains of Prince Henry the Navigator, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, were driven by a storm to the island called by them Porto Santo, or Holy Port, in gratitude for their rescue from shipwreck. The next year an expedition was sent to populate the island, and, Madeira being described, they made for it, and took possession on behalf of the Portuguese crown.
   The islands started to be settled circa 1420 or 1425. In September 23, 1433, the name Ilha da Madeira (Madeira Island or "island of the wood") appears in a map, by the first time, in a document.
   The three captain-donees had led, in the first trip, the respective families, a small group of people of the minor nobility, people of modest conditions and some old prisoners of the kingdom. To gain the minimum conditions for the development of agriculture, they'd to rough-hew a part of the dense forest of laurisilva and to construct a large number of canals (levadas), since in some parts of the island, they'd water in excess while in other parts water was scarce. In the earliest times, fish constituted about half of the settlers' diet, together with vegetables and fruit. The first local agricultural activity with some success was the raising of wheat. Initially, the colonists produced wheat for their own sustenance but, later began to export wheat to Portugal.
   However, in time grain production began to fall. To get past the ensuing crisis Henry decided to order the planting of Sugarcane - rare in Europe and, therefore, considered a spice - promoting, for this, the introduction of Sicilian beets as the first specialized plant and the technology of its agriculture. Sugar production attracted to the island Jewish, Genoese and Portuguese traders. Sugarcane production was a leading factor in the island's economy. Sugar production grew to the extent that demand for labor increased. Sugarcane cultivation and the sugar production industry would develop until the 17th century.
   Following the 17th century Madeira's most important product has been its wine, sugar production having since moved on to Brazil, São Tomé and Principe, and elsewhere. Madeira wine was perhaps the most popular luxury beverage in the colonial Western Hemisphere during the 17th and 18th centuries.
   In 1921, the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Charles I was deported to Madeira, after an unsuccessful coup d'état. He died there one year later.
   In July 1 1976, following the democratic revolution of 1974, Portugal granted political autonomy to Madeira. The region has now its own government and legislative assembly.

The discoveries of Porto Santo and Madeira were first described by Gomes Eannes de Azurara in Chronica da Descoberta e Conquista da Guiné. (Eng. version by Edgar Prestage in 2 vols. issued by the Hakluyt Society, London, 1896-1899: The Chronicle of Discovery and Conquest of Guinea.)

Arkan Simaan relates in French these discoveries in his novel: L’Écuyer d’Henri le Navigateur, published by Éditions l’Harmattan, Paris.

Economy

The setting-up of the Free Industrial Zone has led to the installation, under more favourable conditions, of infrastructure, 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

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 phenomenon. 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 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, United Kingdom, Scandinavia and Portuguese tourists providing the main contingents. The average annual occupancy rate was 57.4% in 2001, reaching its maximum in March and April, when it exceeds 70%.

Transport

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 and Porto, but there are also direct flights from other major European cities and other countries, like Brazil, Venezuela and South Africa.
Funchal airport was infamous for its runway built on a high embankment, falling away abruptly to the sea and with difficult upwinds causing to uplift the aircraft when landing. It was a short runway, but now has been extended to support Boeing 747-400 (one of the biggest airliners today). The largest airliners to use 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.
Transport 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's also a good transportation network.

Culture and people

The islands are noted as the source of Madeira wine. The islands are also known for their flowers, sub-tropical fruits and New Year's Eve celebrations with a spectacular fireworks show, considered the biggest in the world.
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.

Geologic origin and volcanism

Madeira Island is the top of a massive shield volcano that rises about 6 km from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. The volcano formed atop an east-west rift in the oceanic crust. Construction of the bulk of the volcano began during the Miocene Epoch over 5 million years ago and continued into the Pleistocene until about 700,000 years ago. This was followed by extensive erosion, producing two large amphitheaters open to south in the central part of the island.
Volcanic activity later resumed, producing scoria cones and lava flows atop the older eroded shield. The most recent volcanic eruptions were on the west-central part of the island only 6,500 years ago, creating more cinder cones and lava flows.

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.
   The Macaronesia region harbours an important floral diversity. In fact, their forests composition and antiquity are quite similar to the one found in the Tertiary period that has covered the Southern Europe and Northern Africa millions of years ago.
   The great biodiversity of Madeira is phytogeographically linked to Mediterranean region, Africa, America and Australia, and its phytogeographical interest has been increasing in recent years due to the discovery of some bryophyte epiphytic species with disjunctive distribution.

Levadas

The island of Madeira is wet in the northwest but dry in the southeast. In the 16th century the Portuguese started building levadas to carry water to the agricultural regions. The most recent was made in the 1940s. Madeira is very mountainous, and building the levadas was often difficult. Many are cut into the sides of mountains, and it was also necessary to dig 25 miles of tunnels. [1]
Today the levadas not only supply water to the southern parts of the island but provide hydro-electric power. There are over 1350 miles of levadas and they provide a remarkable network of walking paths. Some provide easy and relaxing walks through beautiful countryside, but others are narrow, crumbling ledges where a slip could result in serious injury or death.
Two of the most popular levadas to hike are the Levada do Caldeiro Verde and the Levada Caldeirão do Inferno which shouldn't be attempted by hikers prone to vertigo or without torches and helmets. The Levada do Caniçal is a much easier walk, running 7.1 miles from Maroços to the Caniçal Tunnel. It is known as the mimosa levada because mimosa trees are found all along the route.

Sport

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United and Portugal footballer, was born in Madeira.
   Madeira has two football teams in the BWINLIGA, Portugal's top league. Marítimo of Funchal and Nacional, where Cristiano Ronaldo played before going to Sporting Lisbon, are the two biggest and most supported in the island. Marítimo has also nurtured other great players such as Pepe, now at Real Madrid, Tonel, now at Sporting and Manduca, who was transferred to Benfica.
   Marítimo has also enjoyed various campaigns in the UEFA Cup having recorded famous results against teams such as Juventus, Leeds and Rangers. In 2003-04 Nacional has achieved 4th place, their best classification ever.
   In recent years Madeira has had a considerable amount of success in professional basketball, with CAB Madeira having won numerous titles, especially their female team. CAB are often seen competing in European competition such as the FIBA EuroCup, and former stars include Filipe da Silva and ex-Los Angeles Lakers player Ike Nwankwo. Madeira Andebol SAD, the island's only professional handball team is one of the most successful in the country, while rally car racing, fishing and golf are other popular sports played on the island.

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.

Demographics

Just like the districts of mainland Portugal, Madeira is also further subdivided into 11 municipalities:

Municipalities	Population (2006) (External Link)	Area (km²)	Main city/town	Freguesias
Funchal	100,847	75.7	Funchal	10
Câmara de Lobos	35,150	52.6	Câmara de Lobos	2
Santa Cruz	32,696	68.0	Santa Cruz	5
Machico	21,321	67.6	Machico	5
Ribeira Brava	12,523	64.9	Ribeira Brava	4
Calheta	11,856	110.3	Calheta	8
Santana	8,491	136.3	Santana	2
Ponta do Sol	8,189	46.8	Ponta do Sol	3
São Vicente	6,063	80.8	São Vicente	3
Porto Santo (Island)	4,388	42.4	Vila Baleira	1
Porto Moniz	2,762	82.6	Porto Moniz	4
Total	244,286	768.0	Total	47

Capital city

Today Funchal is a modern city with about 100,000 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 Pêro Annes in Manueline style it represents one of Madeira's numerous treasures.

Notable Madeirans

The following people were either born or have lived part of their lives in Madeira:

Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos, former Archbishop of the former Portuguese colonial enclave Goa (in India)

Alberto João Jardim, President of the Regional Government

António de Abreu, military and navigator

Artur de Sousa Pinga, former CS Marítimo and FC Porto football player

Catarina Fagundes, Olympic athlete for windsurf

Christopher Columbus, Explorer

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United and Portugal midfielder

Dionísio Pestana, president of the Pestana Group

Fátima Lopes, Fashion designer

Francisco de Vasconcelos, Poet

Henrique Franco, Painter

Jaime Ornelas Camacho, first and former President of the Regional Government

Jardim Gonçalves, entrepreneur and founder of BCP

João Fernandes Vieira, military in Brazil and Angola

João Rodrigues, Olympic athlete for windsurf

Joe Berardo, Portuguese millionaire, and art collector

José Vicente de Freitas, military and politician

Karl of Austria, Austrian monarch

Luís Jardim, Producer of music

Manuel Nunes, Progenitor of the Ukulele

Marcos Freitas International table tennis player

Moisés Henriques, former Australian Under-19 Captain and current NSW Blues cricketer

Nadia Almada, a winner of the British reality show Big Brother

Paul Langerhans, German pathologist and biologist

Rigo 23, Artist

Stephanie Ferreira, H&M's top models

Teodósio Clemente de Gouveia, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church

Virgilio Teixeira, Actor

Islands and main Islets

Madeira Islands

Madeira Island

Porto Santo Island

Desertas Islands (Madeira)

Deserta Grande Island

Bugio Island

Chão Islet

Selvagens Islands (Madeira)

Also known as the Dry Salvages.

Selvagem Grande Island

Selvagem Pequena Island

Palheiro da Terra Islet

Palheiro do Mar Islet

Fora Islet

Alto Islet

Comprido Islet

Redondo Islet

Norte Islets

Gallery

Image:Funchal (Portugal )04.jpg|Funchal`s panoramic balloon. Image:City of Funchal.jpg|City of Câmara de Lobos, and in the background the city of Funchal. Image:Botanical_garden_madeira_hg.jpg|Botanic Garden in Funchal. Image:Funchal Pico da Cruz.jpg|Funchal from Pico da Cruz. Image:Pico do Arieiro.jpg|Pico do Areeiro second highest mountain in Madeira. Image:Funchal (Portugal )09.jpg|Funchal`s marina. Image:Funchal Mercado.jpg|Agriculture products at the Lavradores market, in Funchal. Image:Madeira Santana.jpg|Traditional houses of Santana.

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