Madeira
Madeira, sometimes known as the Autonomous Region of Madeira, is one of Portugal's two autonomous regions, the other being the Azores. It is an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the Macaronesia region, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the Canary Islands and 520 kilometers (320 miles) west of Morocco. The archipelago of Madeira is culturally, commercially, and politically European, despite its geological location on the African Tectonic Plate. In 2021, its total population was predicted to be 251,060. Madeira's capital is Funchal, which is located on the south coast of the main island.
Madeira has a subtropical climate that is generally temperate and moderate, with Mediterranean summer droughts and winter showers. At various elevations, there are numerous microclimates.
Madeira, which was previously uninhabited, was claimed in 1419 by Portuguese sailors serving under Prince Henry the Navigator and populated after 1420. The archipelago is regarded as the first territorial discovery of the Age of Discovery's exploratory period.
Because of his attraction, this island is considered one of the most beautiful islands in Portugal. It was a popular year-round resort in 2017, with nearly six times its population of 1.4 million tourists visiting each year. The region is known for its Madeira wine, gastronomy, historical and cultural significance, flora and fauna, UNESCO World Heritage Site sceneries (Laurel forest), and needlework artisans. Funchal's main harbor has long been the leading Portuguese port for cruise liner docking, with over half a million tourists passing through in 2017, making it an important stopover for commercial and trans-Atlantic passenger cruises connecting Europe, the Caribbean, and North Africa. In addition, the International Business Center 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.
Location: Madeira
