Madeira

Introduction

The Madeira Archipelago is situated in the North Atlantic about 700 kilometres from the African coast and about 1000 kilometres from Lisbon. It is almost the same line of latitude as Casablanca and very near the Straits of Gibraltar.

The entire Madeira Archipelago is made up of the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo the Desertas and Selvagens. Only the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo are populated. The total area of the island of Madeira is 741Km2 (57km long and 22km wide). The island is situated in the northern half of the Atlantic Ocean, 500km from the African coast and 1000km from the Portuguese continent. The flight from Lisbon to Madeira is only an hour and a half. Madeira’s total population is 260,000, half of which reside in the capital city of Funchal.

The group was named after the most important island, which not only derives its importance from its greater size but also from its extraordinary riches.

The capital of the Archipelago, the city of Funchal, received its name from a plant named «Funcho» which at the time flourished in that area. The name Madeira came from the fact that the island was heavily forested.

In fact, such was the importance and quantity of the excellent wood from the island that its export to Lisbon for instance influenced the actual structure of its buildings and also contributed to noble structures in foreign cities, such as the magnificent Episcopal palace in the French city of Rouen.

This Atlantic island gave forth an abundance of the most beautiful trees such as the thil, ironwood, jew, vine and the predominant cedar (in fact a juniperus) which played an essentially important role not only in the building of the local housing but also in the construction of the renowned ceilings of Hispanic-Arab carpentry found in the churches and chapels which are still in existence today. One may still find the skilfully crafted furniture in the above mentioned cedar, thil and vine, on exhibit at the museum Quinta das Cruzes.

The Laurissilva, the indigenous forest of Madeira, is an extremely valuable heritage as it is one of the Earth's rarest forests.

This forest dates from the Earth's Tertiary Period and was found throughout various regions of Europe. During the last glaciation their existence was considerably weakened and they survived only in the geographical area of Macronesia (Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde).

However, because of its exceptional climate, other plants from various parts of the world enrich the local flora. To mention but a few which can easily be found, there is the Chorisia speciosa («sumaúma») from South America which is covered in beautiful flowers in the Winter, as well as the Euphorbia pulcherrima, known as "Manhã de Páscoa" with its dazzling red leaves originating in Central America. There are also many other species from Africa or from the Atlantic Coast such as the jacaranda with its voluptuous deep blue flowers in Spring, the tipuana with its yellow flowers, the multiple-coloured bougainvillea or the several varieties of begonia; the abounding hibiscus which appears in its several colours originated in China and Japan.

Similarly, the great variety of orchids from Brazil have adapted to the climate to such an extent that they are among the main exports of the island. Whereas, orchids of the Cypripedium species flower in the mid Winter, in Spring countless varieties of the Cymbidium species emerge and in turn the Flamingo flower «Anturio» (Anthurium andreanum) blossoms in the hottest months. However, the curious Bird of Paradise flower «Ave do Paraíso» (Strelitzia reginae) enjoys the island’s climate so much that it flowers all year round.

Besides the decorative plants and trees, the fruit-bearing plants and trees from Europe or from sub-tropical geographical areas have likewise adapted easily. Some of the most outstanding examples of exotic fruit from distant places are: Custard apple (Anona), Mango, Paw Paw (Papaia), Passion fruit (Maracujá), Avocado (Abacate), Guava (Goiabas), «Araçais» and «Pitangas», as well as the Banana, which today plays an important role in the economy of the island. Although they existed on the island in the second half of the 16th century, they only gained their importance in the last few decades.