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Madeira is an archipelago of two inhabited
islands and several deserted islets. They are Madeira and Porto
Santo, and Desertas and Selvagens, respectively. Like the Azores,
the volcanic islands of Madeira are part of Portugal. This group
of islands, lies in the Atlantic Ocean, north of the northwestern
coast of Africa, and covers an area of 308 square miles (797
square kilometers). The island of Madeira is the largest and most
important of the group. It is the peak of a great ocean mountain
range, which rises to a height of 6,140 feet (1,860 m). The
capital of the archipelago is Funchal. Other important settlements
of Madeira are Machico and Câmara dos Lobos. Porto Santo is
basically a rural area.
Madeira is often referred to as the Rock Garden of the
Atlantic, because of its terraced settlements and farms, which are
covered with exotic flowers and lush vegetation. This is remarkable, for
rain falls only on the winter months. Some of Madeira's flower include
camellias, orchids, bougainvillea, begonias, hibiscus, hydrangeas,
wisteria and jacaranda. The island has such varieties of trees as the
mimosa, eucalyptus, Brazilian Araucaria, Indian fig, West Indies coral,
and Japanese camphor, bamboo, laurel and palm. It also has native trees
like the dragon, ironwood, bay, juniper, mahogany and bell-heather. The
chief crops are sugar cane, corn, bananas, oranges, mangoes,
pomegranates, and grapes, from which the famous Madeira wine is
produced. Wine production is Madeira's chief industry. The willow
wicker-furniture and embroidery are second in importance. Fishing and
tourism are other sources of income there.
The climate of Madeira is temperate, with only a
slight thermal variation between summer and winter (4º C or 39.2º F). It
is said to be the "healthiest climate in the world"! The
temperature of the sea varies between 22º and 18º C (71.6º and 64.4º F)
during the year. In the south the temperature is drier. Most rain falls
in the center of the island. In order to grow crops in Madeira, the
rationing and irrigation of water is essential. The fields are irrigated
through stone aqueducts or levees, called levadas. The water,
which comes down the mountain during the rainy season, is retained. Then
it is passed through the levadas to the farms and villages.
Madeira (Wood) received this name because of the
density of its vegetation at the time of exploration. The islands were
deserted until the Portuguese discovered them in 1419. With orders from
Infante D. Henrique (Prince Henry the Navigator), colonization of
the islands began in 1420 under the captaincies of their two
discoverers: João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira. The colonists
cleared the land by burning trees. The ashes served to add fertilization
the land. Zarco governed Funchal and spent the rest of his life in
Madeira. His remains lie in a tomb at the city's Church of Santa Clara.
Vaz Teixeira ruled Machico. Because of his harsh and unjust treatment of
the people (whose descendants nevertheless erected a monument to him
there in 1972), he was sent into exile to Continental Portugal. He died
at Silves, in Algarve. Madeira's beauty and tranquility were altered by
several attacks from foreigners, during its early history. The Spanish
invaded, and occupied the island from 1580 to 1640. In the early 1800's,
the British captured it twice. Today, the islands of Madeira are
administered by one single district, which consists of ten boroughs.
Nine of them are in Madeira itself, and the other is in the nearby
island of Porto Santo. These boroughs are subdivided into parishes. The
administrative government is housed in Funchal.
Madeira attracts thousands of tourists every year. The
beauty and serenity of the land and sea, the temperance of the climate,
the mild character of the people, the originality of the houses, the
gaiety of the music, and the richness of the cuisine make Madeira a
great place to visit. Museums, monuments, cathedrals, churches and
chapels add charm to the island.
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