Madeira ( or ; or ) is a
Portuguese archipelago in the mid
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. Madeira is an archipelago with volcanic origins from a
Hot Spot, so is not geographically part of a specific continent, but Madeira belongs and has belonged ethnically, culturally, economically and politically to
Europe for 600 years despite being geographically closer to
Africa. Madeira is part of
Portugal, and as such a part of the
European Union, as an
Outermost Region.
Madeira was rediscovered by
Portuguese sailors some time between 1418 and 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. Its harbour –
Funchal – is important due to its commercial and passenger traffic and for being a major stopover for cruisers en route from
Europe to the
Caribbean.
History
thumb|left|150px|[[Cathedral of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Funchal.]]
Pre-Portuguese times
Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands, the position of which with reference to the
Fortunate Islands, or
Canaries, may 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, who, 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.
It is certain that the discovery of Madeira predates the Portuguese settlement, as it appears on maps as early as 1339.
Portuguese discovery
thumb|left|200px|Statue of João Gonçalves Zarco.
In 1419 two captains of Prince
Henry the Navigator,
João Gonçalves Zarco and
Tristão Vaz Teixeira, were driven by a storm to the island they named
Porto Santo. They gave this name (meaning Holy Harbour) in gratitude for their rescue from the shipwreck. The next year an expedition was sent to populate the island, in which the two captains, together with captain
Bartolomeu Perestrello, took possession of the islands on behalf of the Portuguese crown.
The islands started to be settled circa 1420 or 1425. In 23 September 1433, the name
Ilha da Madeira (Madeira Island or "wood island") appears on a map, its first mention in a document.
The three
captain-majors 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 had 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, there was excess water 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.
The discoveries of Porto Santo and Madeira were first described by
Gomes Eanes de Zurara 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 these discoveries in French in his novel based on Azurara's Chronicle:
L’Écuyer d’Henri le Navigateur, published by Éditions l’Harmattan, Paris.
Portuguese Madeira
thumb|right|260px|Santa Catarina Park, in the heart of Funchal.
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. Sugarcane production became a leading factor in the island's economy, and increased the demand for labour. Slaves were used during portions of the islands' history to cultivate sugar cane, and the proportion of imported slaves in Madeira reached 10% of the total population by the 16th century. Genoese and Portuguese traders were attracted to the islands. Sugarcane cultivation and the sugar production industry developed until the 17th century.
Since 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. The
British Empire occupied Madeira as a result of the
Napoleonic Wars, a friendly occupation, which started in 1807 concluding in 1814, when the island was returned to
Portugal and the British did much to popularise Madeira wine.
When, after the death of king
John VI of Portugal, his usurper son
Miguel of Portugal seized power from the rightful heir, his niece
Maria II, and proclaimed himself 'Absolute King', Madeira held out for the Queen under the governor
José Travassos Valdez until Miguel sent an expeditionary force and the defence of the island was overwhelmed by crushing force. Valdez was forced to flee to England under the protection of the Royal Navy (September 1828).
In 1921, the last
Austro-Hungarian Emperor
Charles I was deported to Madeira, after his second unsuccessful
coup d'état in
Hungary. He died there one year later and is buried in
Monte.
On 1 July 1976, following the
democratic revolution of 1974, Portugal granted political autonomy to Madeira. The region now has its own government and legislative assembly.
Geography and climate
right|thumb|200px|View from Bica da Cana.Funchal, the capital of Madeira Autonomous Region, is the chief city and on the south coast of Madeira, the principal island in the archipelago. .
Other cities are:
Vila Baleira (in
Porto Santo Island),
Câmara de Lobos,
Machico,
Santa Cruz,
Santana and
Caniço (Santa Cruz municipality),
Madeira Island.
The archipelago lies about from the coast of Africa, from
Lisbon, from
Gran Canaria, and from
Santa Maria, the nearest of the
Azores.
thumb|left|250px|Map of the islands.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 . Its longer axis lies east and west, along which lies a mountain chain with a mean altitude of 4,000 feet (1,220 m), considered the backbone of the island from which many deep ravines radiate outward to the coast. Its most famous sea cliff, the
Cabo Girão, is one of the highest in Europe. The highest point on the island is
Pico Ruivo, at 1,862 meters (6,107 ft).
In the south, there is very little left of the indigenous
laurisilva subtropical rainforest 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.
Climate
Madeira Island's geographical position and mountainous landscape result in a very pleasant climate which varies between the north side, south side, and smaller islands groups like Porto Santo and Savages. The mean annual temperature on the coastline can reach more than 20 °C in the south. With its mild humidity, the weather of the island is classified as oceanic subtropical and with its low rain level, desertic on the Savages. Influenced by the
Gulf Stream, sea water temperature varies between 26 °C during the summer and 17 °C in the winter.
Islands and main Islets
right|thumb|300px|The 9 km beach of Porto Santo island.
- *Ilhéu de Agostinho (close east)
- *Ilhéu de São Lourenço (out east)
- *Ilhéu de Baixo ou da Cal (south)
- *Ilhéu de Ferro (southwest)
- *Ilhéu das Cenouras (close north)
- *Ilhéu de Fora (further north)
Municipalities
thumb|220px|A 3D image from the east of the Island.Just like the mainland Portugal, Madeira is also further subdivided into 11
municipalities:
Funchal
210px|thumb|Funchal harbour.
Today
Funchal is a modern city with more than 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 (Porto de Funchal) 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) 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.
Geological 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, on an underwater mountain range called Tore, which stands on the
African plate. The volcano formed atop an east-west
rift in the
oceanic crust. Formation 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
thumb|left|100px|Typical Madeiran flowersthumb|left|100px|Madeiran Large White (female)
Madeira has three
endemic birds:
Zino's Petrel, the
Trocaz Pigeon and the
Madeira Firecrest.
It is also of importance for other breeding
seabirds, including the
Madeiran Storm-petrel,
North Atlantic Little Shearwater and
Cory's Shearwater.
The
Macaronesia region harbours an important floral diversity. In fact, the archipelago's forest composition and maturity are quite similar to the forests found in the
Tertiary period that covered
Southern Europe and
Northern Africa millions of years ago.
The great
biodiversity of Madeira is phytogeographically linked to the
Mediterranean region,
Africa,
America and
Australia, and interest in this
phytogeography has been increasing in recent years due to the discovery of some epiphytic bryophyte species with non-adjacent distribution.
Madeira also has many endemic species of fauna – mostly invertebrates which include the extremely rare
Madeiran Large White but also some vertebrates such as the native bat, some lizards species, and some birds as already mentioned.
The biggest tarantula of Europe is found on Desertas islands of Madeira and can be as wide as a normal man hand.
These islands have more than 250 species of land molluscs (snails and slugs), some with very unusual shell shape and colours.
Most of them are endemic and vulnerable.
Levadas
thumb|125px|A levadaThe island of Madeira is wet in the northwest but dry in the southeast. In the 16th century the Portuguese started building levadas or
aqueducts to carry water to the agricultural regions. The most recent were 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 of tunnels.
Today the levadas not only supply water to the southern parts of the island but provide
hydro-electric power. There are over 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 Caldeirão Verde and the
Levada do Caldeirão do Inferno which should not be attempted by hikers prone to vertigo or without torches and helmets. The
Levada do Caniçal is a much easier walk, running from Maroços to the
Caniçal Tunnel. It is known as the
mimosa levada because
mimosa trees are found all along the route.
Economy
thumb|150px|The port of FunchalThe setting-up of the
Free trade 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 competitive internationally.
The largest industries are by sector food,
beverages (especially
Madeira wine), and
construction.
Tourism
thumb|left|150px|The natural beauty of Madeira draws many tourists to the islandTourism 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 entirely devoted to tourism. Over the past decade it has recorded a substantial increase in its hotel accommodation capacity.
Development in Madeira is considered to have future potential since the necessary infrastructure has been established and adequate investment incentives have been introduced for expanding its hotel and catering structure in a controlled manner. Nature conservation is seen as important because it is a major draw for tourists to Madeira.
Visitors are mainly from the
European Union, with
German,
British,
Scandinavian and
Portuguese tourists providing the main contingents. The average annual occupancy rate was 60,3% in 2008, reaching its maximum in March and April, when it exceeds 70%.
Transport
thumb|150px|Madeira Airportthumb|150px|[[Ferry boat connects on a daily basis Madeira and
Porto Santo Islands]]
The Islands have two airports,
Funchal Airport on the Island of Madeira and the other in the island of
Porto Santo. 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.
In the past, Funchal airport was infamous for its runway, which was short and was built on a high embankment. This embankment fell away abruptly to the sea and was often troubled by difficult updrafts which tended to lift aircraft when landing. In the past, the largest airliners that were able to use the airport were the
Airbus A320 and
Boeing 737.
In an infamous 1977 accident, a
Boeing 727 aircraft, when landing in unfavorable weather, ran off the cliff at the end of the runway causing over 150 deaths. Recently, however, the runway has been realigned and extended from 1,800m to 2,481m, enabling most modern passenger airplanes to visit the island, including the
Boeing 747-400, one of the biggest airliners today.
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, the latter also allowing for the transportation of vehicles. Visiting the interior of the islands is now very easy, due to major road developments. Known as the
Vias Rápidas, these major roads were constructed on the islands during Portugal's economic boom. Modern roads reach all points of interest on the islands. The old, curving mountain roads are still an excellent way to tour the island. Funchal has an extensive public transportation system. Bus companies, including Horários do Funchal which has been operating for over a hundred years, have regularly scheduled routes to all points of interest on the island.
Society and Culture
Demographics
When the Portuguese discovered the island of Madeira in 1419, it was completely uninhabited by humans, with no
aboriginal population at all. The island was settled by
Portuguese people, especially farmers from the
Minho region, meaning that
Madeirans (), as they are called, are ethnic Portuguese, though they have developed their own distinct regional identity and cultural traits.
The region has a total population of just under 250,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom live on the main island of Madeira where the population density is 337/km²; meanwhile only around 4,500 live on the
Porto Santo Island where the population density is 112/km².
Population genetics
Like in continental Portugal, the most frequent
mtDNA haplogroup in Madeira is
H (36.2%), followed by
U (19.4% including 3.9% of North African
U6),
T (7.7%),
pre-HV clades (7.1%) and
K (6.5%). Two haplogroups, H and U5 alone account for more than 50% of the individuals. Relatively high frequency of sub-Saharan
L haplogroups (13%) in Madeira is also consistent with the historical records on slaves' introduction both in the south of Portugal and in Madeira.
Concerning the males
Y-Dna haplogroups,
R1b (particularly R1b3) was found to be the most dominant Y chromosomal lineage in Madeira, covering about 53% of the Y chromosomal lineages. The high frequency of this haplogroup is typical in all West European populations, reflecting a cline and likely continuity of the Paleolithic gene pool in Europe. Haplogroups
I and
G, also characteristic markers for many different West European populations, were found in Madeira at frequencies above 5%. Together with R1b, haplogroups
J (12%) and
E1b1b (14%) comprise about 80% of the Y-chromosomal gene pool of Madeira individuals. Haplogroups J and E1b1b consist of lineages with differential distribution within
Middle East,
North Africa and
Europe. The typical
berber haplogroup E1b1b (M81) was found like in continental Portugal at a frequency of 5-6%.
Famous Madeirans
thumb|150px|Cristiano Ronaldo, World Footballer of the Year 2008.
The following people were either born or have lived part of their lives in Madeira:
- Francisco de Vasconcelos, Poet
- Lourdes de Castro, Visual artist
- Manuel Nunes, inventor of the Ukulele
- Marcos Freitas International table tennis player
- Stephanie Ferreira, H&M's top models
Gastronomy
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.
Black scabbardfish,
espada, is often served with banana.
To promote madeiran gastronomy worldwide, each year, every November the
Madeira Gourmet Festival is organized. The festival brings international Chefs to the island, mixing their know who with local young chefs and preparing new recipes using madeiran traditional products, like the
Madeira Wine, local fish and other products.
Sport
thumb|World Surfing Championships have been held in Madeira at surfspots such as Paul do Mar.
Madeira has two
football teams in the
Portuguese Liga, Portugal's top league,
C.S. Marítimo of Funchal and
Nacional. The
Real Madrid and
Portugal footballer
Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Madeira and played for
Nacional before going to
Sporting Lisbon.
C.S. Marítimo has nurtured great players such as
Pepe, now at
Real Madrid,
Tonel, now at
Sporting,
Danny, now at
Zenit,
Jorge Costa, retired (
F.C. Porto),
Tarik Sektioui, now at
F.C. Porto,
Nuno Valente, now at
Everton,
Makukula, now at
Kayserispor, among others.
C.S. Marítimo is considered as the biggest club of Madeira.
C.S. 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 achieved 4th place in the Portuguese League, 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.
In 2001 the World Surfing Championships were held in Madeira at Surfspots including
Paul do Mar, Ponta Pequena and
Jardim do Mar (see
Surfing in Madeira).
Madeira Andebol SAD, the island's only professional
handball team is one of the most successful in the country, while
rally car racing (
Rali Vinho da Madeira),
fishing and
golf are other popular sports played on the island.
Rugby union is also played on the island to a minor degree.
Postage stamps
Portugal has issued
postage stamps for Madeira during several periods, beginning in 1868; see
postage stamps and postal history of Madeira for more details.
See also
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