Madeira

Not to be confused with Madura. For other uses, see Madeira (disambiguation).
Madeira
Autonomous Region of Portugal and outermost region of the European Union
Autonomous Region of Madeira
Região Autónoma da Madeira (Portuguese)
Blue-gold-blue vertical triband with a red-bordered white Cross of Christ.
Flag
Blue a pale or charged with the Cross of Christ
Coat of arms
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
(English: "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira")
Location of Madeira
Location of Madeira within Portuguese territory (dark green) and the European Union (light green)
Country Portugal
Discovery1418–1419
Settlementc. 1425
Autonomous status30 April 1976
Named forEnglish: wood (Portuguese: madeira)
Capital
and largest city
Funchal
32°45′N 17°0′W / 32.750°N 17.000°W / 32.750; -17.000
Official languagesPortuguese
Demonym(s)English: Madeiran (Portuguese: Madeirense)
Government
• Representative of the Republic
Irineu Barreto
Miguel Albuquerque
• President of the Legislative Assembly
José Manuel Rodrigues
LegislatureLegislative Assembly
National and European representation
• Assembly of the Republic
6 MPs (of 230)
• European Parliament
2 MEP (of 21 Portuguese seats)
Area
• Total
801 km2 (309 sq mi)
Highest elevation
(Pico Ruivo)
1,861 m (6,106 ft)
Lowest elevation
(Atlantic Ocean)
0 m (0 ft)
Population
• 2021 census
250,769[1]
• Density
313/km2 (810.7/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)2024 (Fitch) estimate
• Per capita
Increase $46,326[2]
CurrencyEuro (€) (EUR)
Time zoneUTC±00:00 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)
UTC+01:00 (WEST)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy (CE)
Driving sideright
Calling code+351 (291)
Postal code
90nn-94nn
ISO 3166 codePT-30
Internet TLD.pt
Usual abbreviationRAM
Websitewww.madeira.gov.pt

Madeira (/məˈdɪərə/ mə-DEER-ə or /məˈdɛərə/ mə-DAIR-ə;[3][4][5] European Portuguese: [mɐˈðɐjɾɐ] ⓘ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (Portuguese: Região Autónoma da Madeira), is an autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of the Canary Islands, 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Kingdom of Morocco and 805 kilometres (500 mi) southwest of mainland Portugal.[6][7] Madeira sits on the African Tectonic Plate, although it is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from Portuguese settlers.[8][9][10] Its population was 251,060 in 2021. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, on the main island's south coast.

The archipelago includes the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo, and the Desertas, administered together with the separate archipelago of the Savage Islands. Roughly half of the population lives in Funchal.[11] The region has political and administrative autonomy through the Administrative Political Statute of the Autonomous Region of Madeira provided for in the Portuguese Constitution. The region is an integral part of the European Union as an outermost region.[12] Madeira generally has a mild/moderate subtropical climate with mediterranean summer droughts and winter rain. Many microclimates are found at different elevations.

Madeira, uninhabited at the time, was claimed by Portuguese sailors in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1419 and settled after 1420. The archipelago is the first territorial discovery of the exploratory period of the Age of Discovery.

Madeira is a year-round resort, particularly for Portuguese, but also British (148,000 visits in 2021), and Germans (113,000).[13] It is by far the most populous and densely populated Portuguese island. The region is noted for its Madeira wine, flora, and fauna, with its pre-historic laurel forest, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The destination is certified by EarthCheck.[14] The main harbour in Funchal has long been the leading Portuguese port in cruise ship dockings, an important stopover for Atlantic passenger cruises between Europe, the Caribbean and North Africa.[15] In addition, the International Business Centre of Madeira, also known as the Madeira Free Trade Zone, was established in the 1980s. It includes (mainly tax-related) incentives.[16]

  1. ^ "Resident population (No.) by Place of residence, Sex and Age group; Decennial - Statistics Portugal, Population and housing census – 2021". INE. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  2. ^ [1] Archived 16 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine Fitch Revises Autonomous Region of Madeira's Outlook to Positive on Sovereign Rating Action, Mon 16 May 2022 - 17:02 ET, retrieved 28 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Madeira". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Madeira". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Madeira". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  6. ^ Bowler, John (2018). Wildlife of Madeira and the Canary Islands. Princeton University Press. p. 5. The Madeira archipelago belongs to Portugal and lies just under 400 km to the north of the Canary Island of Tenerife and 520 km west of Morocco.
  7. ^ Beron, Petar (2018). Zoogeography of Arachnida. Springer. p. 363. Another archipelago, a Portugal territory, is Madeira, comprising the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo, Degeltas, and Selvagens, 520 km from the African coast.
  8. ^ Ibpuk (2019). Madeira: Doing Business, Investing in Madeira Guide Volume 1. Washington, D.C.: International Business Publications. p. 14.
  9. ^ Passinhas, Sandra (2012). Property and Trust Law in Portugal. Wolsters Kluver.
  10. ^ "Magical Madeira Island". AYS. Archived from the original on 13 June 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  11. ^ Mullen, Tom. "Why Madeira Island Is A World Apart". Forbes. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  12. ^ "EUR-Lex – 12002E299 – EN". eur-lex.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  13. ^ "Tourists in Madeira, Portugal by country 2021". Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Madeira begins sustainable certification process with EarthCheck | News | Island Innovation". islandinnovation.co. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  15. ^ "14-02-2018 - In 2017, Madeira's hotel industry registered new records in overnight stays and revenue". estatistica.madeira.gov.pt. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  16. ^ "About IBC". ibc-madeira.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.