Madeira << muh DEER uh >> Islands are a group of islands that belong to Portugal. The islands, of volcanic origin, lie in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa.
The islands cover 310 square miles (802 square kilometers) and have about 255,000 residents. Most of the people live on Madeira, the larger of the two inhabited islands. The other inhabited island is Porto Santo. Noted for its sandy beaches, it lies about 26 miles (42 kilometers) northeast of Madeira. About 4,800 people live there. The Desertas and Selvagens are groups of tiny, uninhabited isles.
The island of Madeira,
the largest and most important of the group, is a great ocean mountain range rising to a height of 6,104 feet (1,860 meters) above sea level in the Pico Ruivo. Madeira is known as the Rock Garden of the Atlantic because its settlements and farms rise in terraces, covered with exotic flowers and trees. There are lush growths of orchids, bougainvillea, bignonia, hibiscus, camellias, hydrangeas, wisteria, and jacaranda. Trees include the mimosa, eucalyptus, Brazilian araucaria, Indian fig, West Indies coral, and Japanese camphor, bamboo, laurel, and palm.
Chief crops include sugar cane, corn, vegetables, bananas, oranges, mangoes, pomegranates, and the grapes that have made Madeira famous for wine.
Wine production is a principal industry of Madeira. Embroidering and the making of willow wicker furniture and baskets are also important. Many women embroider at home. Fishing also contributes to the economy. Britons handle much of Madeira’s trade.
Funchal is the capital of the Madeira Islands. It is also the largest city, main seaport, and chief resort center of the group. Funchal has ship connections with Lisbon, Portugal, and English ports, and air links with European and North African cities. See Funchal.
History.
The Romans may have known about the Madeira Islands but probably did not visit them. The Portuguese arrived on the island of Madeira by 1420. They gave the island that name—which means wood—because it was heavily forested. The Portuguese cleared some of the land by burning trees, the ashes from which gave the soil increased fertility. Funchal was founded in 1421. Porto Santo also was settled about that time. The Spaniards seized and held the islands from 1580 to 1640. The British occupied the Madeira Islands twice during the early 1800’s.
