Madera, Madeira |
 |
 |
   |
|
It has been conjectured, but on insufficient evidence, that the Phoenecians discovered Madeira at a very early period. Pliny mentions certain Purple or Mauretanian Islands, the position of which with reference to the Fortunate Islands or Canaries might seem to indicate Madeira islands. There is a romantic story, of doubtful truth, to the effect that two lovers, Robert Machim and Anna d'Arfet, fleeing from England to France in 1346, were driven off their course by a violent storm, and cast on the coast of Madeira at the place subsequently named Machico, in memory of one of them. On the evidence of a portolan dated 1351, preserved at Florence, Italy, it would appear that Madeira had been discovered long previous to that date by Portuguese vessels under Genoese captains.
The northern coast of Madeira in SantanaIn 1419 two of the captains of Prince Henry the Navigator, Joao Gonçalves Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira, were driven by a storm to the island called by them Porto Santo, or Holy Port, in gratitude for their rescue from shipwreck. The next year an expedition was sent to populate the island, and, Madeira being described, they made for it, and took possession on behalf of the Portuguese crown. The islands started to be settled circa 1432 or 1433. In September 23, 1433, the name ILHA DA MADEIRA (Madeira Island or "island of the forest") appears in a map, by the first time, in a document. |
|
 |
|
|
14. Photos 15. Anthem - sound file |
1. Dependency status: autonomous region of Portugal 2. Government type: none; parliamentary democracy (Portugal) 3. Location: in the Atlantic Ocean, about 360 miles directly west of Morocco, Africa, and 540 miles southwest of Lisbon, Portugal. Madeira and Porto Santo are the only inhabited islands 4. Border Countries: none (island) 5. Climate: temperatures are about 22 degrees Celsius in the summer and circa 16 degrees Celsius during the winter. With its mild humidity, the weather of the Island is classified as subtropical6. Terrain: The islands are volcanic in origin and very mountainous. The rugged coast of Madeira is a series of steep gorges, all running down to the sea. Deep, green valleys accent the interior 7. Area: 789 sq km (308 sq miles) 8. Capital: Funchal (140,000 inhabitians) 9. Administrative divisions: none 10. Population: 260,000 inhabitians 11. Languages: Portuguese (official) 12. Religions: Catholic, others 13. Currency: Euro (EUR) |
 |
|
18. Recommended Travel Oficies:
19. Airlines:
20. Other transport (train, coach, boat etc.)
21. Office in Poland:
|
| *click for look in interesting offers |
 |
|
22. Intresting WEB's:
|