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Madeira (pron. IPA or ) is a Portuguese archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean that lies between 32°22.3′N 16°16.5′W and 33°7.8′N 17°16.65′W. more...

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It is one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, with Madeira and Porto Santo being the only inhabited islands. It is also part of the European Union.

Madeira, known originally to the Romans as the Purple Islands, was rediscovered, possibly accidentally, by Portuguese sailors and settled by Portugal in 1418. It is a popular year-round resort, famed worldwide for its Madeira wine, a perfect climate, striking scenery, flowers, embroidery artisans, and New Years' Eve celebrations with a spectacular fireworks show.

Geography and Climate

The Autonomous Region of Madeira is composed by Madeira Island, Porto Santo Island, Desertas Islands and Savage Islands.

Funchal, the capital of Madeira Island, is on the south coast of the principal island, in 32°37.75′N 16°55.3′W. Other main cities are: Porto Santo Town also known as Vila Baleira, Ribeira Brava, Machico, Câmara de Lobos, Santa Cruz, Caniço, Ponta do Sol and Calheta.

The archipelago lies about 360.0 miles from the coast of Africa, 535 miles from Lisbon, 230 from Gran Canaria, and 480 from Santa Maria, the nearest of the Azores.

Madeira Island is the largest island of the group with 741 km², has a length of 30 geographical miles (57 km), an extreme breadth of 13 miles (22 km), and a coastline of 80 or 90 miles. Its longer axis lies east and west, in which direction it is traversed by a mountain chain, the backbone of the island, having a mean altitude of 4000 feet (1220 metres), from which many deep ravines radiate outward to the coast. The highest point on the island is Pico Ruivo, at 1862 meters (6107 feet).

On the south there is very little left of the indigenous laurisilva forest which once clothed the whole island (until the original settlers decided to clear the land for farming by setting most of the island on fire) and gave it the name it bears (Madeira means "wood" in Portuguese), but on the north the valleys contain native trees of fine growth. These laurisilva forests, notably the forests on the northern slopes of Madeira Island, are designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

A long narrow and comparatively low rocky promontory forms the eastern extremity of the island, and here there is to be seen a tract of calcareous sand, known as the Fossil Bed, containing land shells and numerous bodies resembling the roots of trees, probably produced by infiltration.

Its geographical position and mountainous landscape permit a very pleasing climate. Temperatures are about 22 °C (72 °F) in the summer and about 16 °C (61 °F) during the winter . With its mild humidity, the weather of the island is classified as subtropical. Influenced by the Gulf Stream, sea water temperature is 22 °C during the summer and 16 °C in the winter. The islands are of volcanic origin.

Read more at Wikipedia.org