Global InformationMadeira information
Autonomous Region of Madeira Região Autónoma da Madeira (Portuguese) | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| 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 within Portuguese territory (dark green) and the European Union (light green). | |
| Status | Autonomous Region |
| Capital and largest city | Funchal |
| Official languages | Portuguese |
| Demonym(s) | English: Madeiran (Portuguese: Madeirense) |
| Government | |
• Representative of the Republic | Irineu Barreto |
• President of the Regional Government of Madeira | Miguel Albuquerque |
• President of the Legislative Assembly | José Manuel Rodrigues |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly |
| Area | |
• Total | 801 km2 (309 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2021 census | 250,769[1] |
• Density | 313/km2 (810.7/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 (Fitch) estimate |
• Per capita |  $36,423[2] |
| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC±00:00 |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy (CE) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +351 (291) |
| Internet TLD | .pt |
Madeira (/məˈdɪərə/, /məˈdɛərə/,[3][4][5] Portuguese: [mɐˈðɐjɾɐ] ⓘ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (Portuguese: Região Autónoma da Madeira), is one of two autonomous regions of Portugal, the other being the Azores. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in a region known as Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north of the Canary Islands and 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Kingdom of Morocco.[6][7] Madeira is geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, although it is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from original Portuguese settlers.[8][9][10] Its population was 251,060 in 2021. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, which is located 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 region's 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 autonomous region is an integral part of the European Union as an outermost region.[12] Madeira generally has a very mild and moderate subtropical climate with mediterranean summer droughts and winter rain. Many microclimates are found at different elevations.
Madeira, originally uninhabited, was claimed by Portuguese sailors in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1419 and settled after 1420. The archipelago is considered to be the first territorial discovery of the exploratory period of the Age of Discovery.
Madeira is a popular year-round resort, particularly for fellow 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 has been certified by EarthCheck.[14] The main harbour in Funchal has long been the leading Portuguese port in cruise liner 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 created formally in the 1980s as a tool of regional economic policy. It consists of a set of incentives, mainly tax-related, granted with the objective of attracting foreign direct investment based on international services into Madeira.[16]
- ^ "Resident population (No.) by Place of residence, Sex and Age group; Decennial - Statistics Portugal, Population and housing census – 2021". INE. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ [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.
- ^ "Madeira". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ "Madeira". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020.
- ^ "Madeira". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Ibpuk (2019). Madeira: Doing Business, Investing in Madeira Guide Volume 1. Washington, D.C.: International Business Publications. p. 14.
- ^ Passinhas, Sandra (2012). Property and Trust Law in Portugal. Wolsters Kluver.
- ^ "Magical Madeira Island". AYS. Archived from the original on 13 June 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ Mullen, Tom. "Why Madeira Island Is A World Apart". Forbes. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ "EUR-Lex – 12002E299 – EN". eur-lex.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- ^ "Tourists in Madeira, Portugal by country 2021".
- ^ "Madeira begins sustainable certification process with EarthCheck | News | Island Innovation". islandinnovation.co. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "About IBC". ibc-madeira.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.