Madeira
Madeira | |
|---|---|
| Autonomous Region of Madeira Região Autónoma da Madeira(Portuguese) | |
| Etymology:madeira,Portuguese word for wood | |
| Nickname(s): Pearl of the Atlantic | |
| Motto: Das Ilhas as Mais Belas e Livres (English: Of all islands, the most beautiful and free) | |
| Anthem:Hino da Região Autónoma da Madeira ( "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira" ) | |
 Location of Madeira | |
| Sovereign state |  Portugal |
| Discovery | 1418-1419 |
| Settlement | c. 1425 |
| Political Autonomy | 30 April 1976 |
| Capital | Funchal |
| Official languages | Portuguese |
| Demonym(s) | Madeirense (English: Madeiran) |
| Government | Autonomous Region |
• Representative of the Republic | Irineu Barreto |
| Miguel Albuquerque | |
• President of theLegislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira | José Manuel Rodrigues |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira |
| National and European Representation | |
| 6Deputies | |
| 2MEPs | |
| Area | |
• Total | 801 km2(309 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,861 m (6,106 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population | |
• 2021 census |  251,060[1] |
• Density | 313/km2(810.7/sq mi) |
| GDP(nominal) | 2023 (Fitch) estimate |
• Per capita |  $27,493[2] |
| Currency | EUR(€) (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC(WET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1(WEST) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy (CE) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +351 (291) |
| ISO 3166 code | PT-30 |
| Internet TLD | |
| Usual abbreviation | RAM |
| Website | www.madeira.gov.pt |
Madeirais a Portuguesearchipelagothat lies between32°22.3′N16°16.5′W/ 32.3717°N 16.2750°Wand33°7.8′N17°16.65′W/ 33.1300°N 17.27750°W,just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) north ofTenerife,Canary Islands,in the northAtlantic Oceanand anoutermost region of the European Union.[3]
The archipelago comprises the major part of one of the twoautonomous regionsofPortugal(the other being theAzoreslocated to the northwest), that includes the islands of Madeira,Porto Santo,and theDesertas,administered together with the separate archipelago of theSavage Islands.
The nameMadeiracould be used for the autonomous region, thegeographicalgroup of islands or just the island of Madeira. These islands are part of theMacaronesia.
History
[change|change source]Discovery
[change|change source]Madeira's official writtenhistorybegan in 1418, when twocaptainsunder service toPrinceHenry the Navigator,João Gonçalves ZarcoandTristão Vaz Teixeira,were pushed by a storm to an island which they namedPorto Santo(English:holy harbour). The following year, an organised expedition was sent to this new land to take possession of the island on behalf of the Portuguesecrown.Later, the newsettlerssaw an island to the southwest, and so the larger island of Madeira was discovered.
Settlement
[change|change source]The islands were found to be completely uninhabited, and their colonization by the Portuguese began around 1420 or 1425. To get the minimum conditions for the development ofagriculture,they had to cut part of the dense forest and to construct a large number ofcanals(levadas) to carry water, since in some parts of the island there was excess water, while in others water was scarce. During this period,fishconstituted about half of the settlers' diet, together withvegetablesandfruitscultivated from small pieces of land. Initially, thesecolonistsproducedwheatfor their own subsistence, but later the quantity cultivated was sufficient to begin sending wheat to continental Portugal.
On the 23 September 1433, the nameIlha da Madeira(English:Madeira Island,or literallyisland of wood) began to appear in the first documents and maps. The name given to the islands corresponded to the large dense forests of native trees that covered the island.
However, when wheat production began to fall, the crisis forced to plant other commercialcrops.They brought fromSicilyplants ofsugarcaneto producesugar.After the 17th century, as sugar production went toBrazil,São Tomé and Príncipeand elsewhere, Madeira's most important product became itswine.
Geography
[change|change source]As other islands of theMacaronesia,the Madeira islands are ofvolcanicorigin and with asubtropicalclimate.
Location
[change|change source]The archipelago is in theAfrican plate,in the Atlantic Ocean between thelatitudes30° and 33° north, 978 km (608 mi) southwest of Lisbon and, about 700 km (435 mi) west of the African coast, almost at the samelatitudeasCasablanca.
Islands and islets
[change|change source]The Madeira islands have a total area of 801 km2(309 sq mi). Their individual areas vary between 740.7 km2(286.0 sq mi) of the largest island (Madeira) to 3.6 km2(1.4 sq mi) of theSavage Islands.
| Island | Area (km2) |
Islets (Portuguese:Ilhéu) |
|---|---|---|
| Madeira | 740.7 | Ilhéu de Agostinho, Ilhéu de São Lourenço, Ilhéu Mole |
| Porto Santo | 42.5 | Ilhéu de Baixo ou da Cal, Ilhéu de Ferro, Ilhéu das Cenouras, Ilhéu de Fora, Ilhéu de Cima |
| Desertas Islands | 14.2 | Deserta Grande, Bugio Island, Ilhéu de Chão |
| Savage Islands | 3.6 | |
| Northwest Group | Selvagem Grande, Ilhéu de Palheiro da Terra, Ilhéu de Palheiro do Mar | |
| Southeast Group | Selvagem Pequena, Ilhéu Grande, Ilhéu Sul, Ilhéu Pequeno, Ilhéu Fora, Ilhéu Alto, Ilhéu Comprido, Ilhéu Redondo, Ilhéu Norte | |
Of the eight islands, only the two largest (Madeira and Porto Santo) are inhabited, having as main accesses, the Madeira Airport in Funchal and the one in Porto Santo. By sea, Funchal has aportthat receives different ships, especiallycruise ships.The remaining islands are nature reserves.
Territory
[change|change source]The territory of the archipelago contains two main islands: the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo; besides these, there are two groups of uninhabited islands, the Desertas and Savages.
The island of Madeira has a very irregular and uneventerrain,being the highest points thepeaksPico Ruivo(1862 m),Pico das Torres(1851 m),Pico do Ariero(1818 m) andPico do Juncal(1800 m). The northern coast is dominated by highcliffs.
The island of Porto Santo, on the other hand, has a completely differentgeomorphologicalformation of the island of Madeira. It is very flat where only small plants grow and the soils are poor and not very good for agriculture. This island has some peaks, particularly in the north, and thePico do Facho(517 m) is the highest point of elevation in the island, followed byPico Branco(450 m).
The highest point of Desertas Islands isPedregal(442 m) in Deserta Grande, and of Selvagens Islands isPico da Atalaia(153 m), in Selvagem Grande.[4]
Climate
[change|change source]
The average temperature for the year in Funchal, Madeira island, is 19 °C (66.2 °F). The warmest month, on average, is August with an average temperature of 22.6 °C (72.7 °F). The coolest month on average is February, with an average temperature of 16.1 °C (61.0 °F).
The average amount of precipitation for the year in Funchal is 596.9 mm (23.5 "). The month with the most precipitation on average is December with 109.2 mm (4.3" ) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of 2.5 mm (0.1 "). There are an average of 87 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in December with 13 days and the least precipitation occurring in July with 1 days.[5]
For the Villa de Porto Santo, Porto Santo island, the average temperature for the year is 17.8 °C (64.0 °F). The warmest month, on average, is August with an average temperature of 21.7 °C (71.0 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 15 °C (59.0 °F).
The average amount of precipitation for the year in Villa de Porto Santo is 375.9 mm (14.8 "). The month with the most precipitation on average is January with 61 mm (2.4" ) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of 2.5 mm (0.1 ").[6]
TheKöppen climate classificationsubtype for this climate of Funchal (Madeira) and Villa de Porto Santo (Porto Santo) isCsb(Mediterran Climate).[5][7]
The climate of Desertas islands and partes of Porto Santo issemi-arid(Bs) and in the Savage islands is adesertclimate (Bw).[5]
| Climate data for Madeira: Funchal | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 19.2 (66.6) |
19.3 (66.7) |
19.8 (67.6) |
19.9 (67.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
22.6 (72.7) |
24.4 (75.9) |
25.8 (78.4) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.4 (75.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
20.4 (68.7) |
22.1 (71.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 15.9 (60.6) |
13.2 (55.8) |
13.3 (55.9) |
13.8 (56.8) |
14.9 (58.8) |
16.9 (62.4) |
18.4 (65.1) |
19.4 (66.9) |
19.4 (66.9) |
18.0 (64.4) |
16.1 (61.0) |
14.5 (58.1) |
15.9 (60.6) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 90.6 (3.57) |
64.5 (2.54) |
56.2 (2.21) |
37.8 (1.49) |
30.3 (1.19) |
6.4 (0.25) |
2.8 (0.11) |
3.1 (0.12) |
34.7 (1.37) |
78.2 (3.08) |
82.4 (3.24) |
109.4 (4.31) |
596.4 (23.48) |
| Source: Weatherbase.com[2] | |||||||||||||
Administration
[change|change source]In 1976 Madeira became one of the two autonomous regions of the Republic of Portugal (Azoresis the other) under the Portuguese nameRegião Autónoma da Madeira,with its ownexecutiveand a regionallegislature.The currentpresidentof the regional government is Miguel Albuquerque. The main offices of the regional government are in Funchal, making this city the capital of the region.
Administrative divisions
[change|change source]
Administratively, the Autonomous Region of Madeira (with a population of 267,785 inhabitants in 2011[8]and covering an area of 801.0 km2(309.3 sq mi)) is organised into 11municípios,of which 10 are in the island of Madeira and one in Porto Santo. Municipalities are further divided into 54freguesias,53 in Madeira and 1 in Porto Santo.[9]
| Municipality | Population (2011)[8] |
Area[10] (km2) |
Main settlement | Parishes (Freguesias) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calheta | 11,521 | 111.5 | Calheta | 8 |
| Câmara de Lobos | 35,666 | 52.1 | Câmara de Lobos | 5 |
| Funchal[N 1] | 111,892 | 76.1 | Funchal | 10 |
| Machico | 21,828 | 68.3 | Machico | 5 |
| Ponta do Sol | 8,862 | 46.2 | Ponta do Sol | 3 |
| Porto Moniz | 2,711 | 82.9 | Porto Moniz | 4 |
| Porto Santo | 5,483 | 42.6 | Vila Baleira | 1 |
| Ribeira Brava | 13,375 | 65.4 | Ribeira Brava | 4 |
| Santa Cruz[N 2] | 43,005 | 81.5 | Santa Cruz | 5 |
| Santana | 7,719 | 95.6 | Santana | 6 |
| São Vicente | 5,723 | 78.8 | São Vicente | 3 |
| Total | 267,785 | 801.0 | 54 |
Population
[change|change source]According to the 2011 Census, the total population in the Autonomous Region of Madeira was 267,785: 126,268 men and 141,517 women.[8]The density for the whole region is 334.3 persons/km2;calculating the density taking in account only the inhabited islands (Madeira and Porto Santo), the density would be 341.9 inhabitants/km2.
Nature
[change|change source]
The region of Madeira is home to a great and importantbiodiversity,with an estimated 7,571terrestrialspeciesfor the whole archipelago. The total number ofendemicspecies andsubspeciesis about 1,419 (1,286 species and 182 sub-species), which represents 19% of the overall species diversity.
The most knownenvironmentof the archipelago is itsLaurelforest (laurisilva) which still extends over 15,000 hectares or 20% of the archipelago. These forests, very rich in biodiversity, are the largest and best-preserved Laurel forests in the entireMacaronesiaregion. They are home to unique plant and animal species, including the famousTrocaz Pigeonor Madeira Laurel Pigeon (Columba trocaz), and theMadeira Kinglet(Regulus madeirensis). The mostthreatenedbird of Europe, the Madeiran or Zino’s Petrel (Pterodroma madeira) inhabits the highest cliffs in the Central Mountainous Massif of the Madeira island.
In the sea around Madeira there are numerous species ofmarinemammals,including 28 species ofcetaceansand the critically endangeredMediterranean Monk Seal(Monachus monachus).[11]
There are 6 protected areas in the Madeira Archipelago, including the Madeira Natural Park. This park, which covers over 2/3 of Madeira Island and includes the entire Laurel forest, is a European Council Biogenetic Reserve since 1992, and aUNESCOWorld Natural Heritage Sitesince 1999.[12]Additionally, 11sitesin the whole archipelago are part of theNatura 2000networkand 11 other sites are designatedImportant Bird Areas.[11]
Economy
[change|change source]The local economy is based mainly onagricultureandtourism,the main resource. Agriculture producesbananas,flowers,andMadeira winewhich isexported.Theindustrialarea is not very diverse and they are relationated with food,beverages,tobaccoandconstruction.[13]
Notes
[change|change source]- ↑Statistics includeSavage Islands,which are administered by the parish of Sé
- ↑Statistics include the mainland parish of Santa Cruz and the islands of theDesertas
References
[change|change source]- ↑"Resultados Preliminares".censos.ine.pt.Instituto Nacional de Estatística.Retrieved19 October2021.
- ↑[1]Fitch Revises Autonomous Region of Madeira's Outlook to Positive on Sovereign Rating Action, Mon 16 May, 2022 - 17:02 ET, retrieved 28.06.2022.
- ↑"EUROPA - Glossary - Outermost regions".Europa.eu.Retrieved7 August2013.
- ↑"Madeira Geography: Highest altitudes of Madeira islands".Madeira and Porto Santo Islands.Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2006.Retrieved9 August2013.
- ↑5.05.15.2"Funchal, Portugal".Weatherbase.Retrieved9 August2013.
- ↑"Villa de Porto Santo, Portugal".Weatherbase.Retrieved9 August2013.
- ↑"World Map of Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification".Retrieved9 August2013.
- ↑8.08.18.2"Census 2011".Instituto Nacional de Estatística - Statistics Portugal. 20 November 2012.Retrieved7 August2013.
- ↑"Região Autónoma: MADEIRA"(in Portuguese). Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses.Retrieved9 August2013.
- ↑"Estatisticas territoriales".Instituto Nacional de Estatística - Statistics Portugal.Retrieved7 August2013.
- ↑11.011.1"About IUCN: Madeira".UICN. Archived fromthe originalon December 24, 2011.Retrieved9 August2013.
- ↑"Laurisilva of Madeira".World Heritage List.UNESCO.Retrieved9 August2013.
- ↑"Madeira - Economy".Portrait of the Regions.Archived fromthe originalon 15 November 2011.Retrieved9 August2013.
Other websites
[change|change source]
- Freguesias de PortugalArchived2013-05-26 at theWayback Machine
- madeira islands - Madeira Tourism Office
| National | |
|---|---|
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
