29 Facts About Madeira

Madeira is geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, though the archipelago is culturally, economically and politically European.

The capital of Madeira is Funchal, which is located on the main island's south coast.

Madeira generally has a very mild and moderate subtropical climate with mediterranean summer droughts and winter rain.

Madeira is described in various medieval manuscripts: the Book of Knowledge of All Kingdoms of early 14th century, the Medici-Laurentian Atlas of 1351, in Soleri Portolani of 1380 and 1385 and Corbitis Atlas of late 14th century; under names such as Lecmane, Lolegname and Legnami ; Puerto or Porto Santo; desierta, deserte or deserta.

Until the first half of the sixteenth century, Madeira was one of the major sugar markets of the Atlantic.

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The Madeira Wine became very popular in the markets and it is said to have been used in a toast during the Declaration of Independence by the Founding Fathers.

The first tourist guide of Madeira appeared in 1850 and focused on elements of history, geology, flora, fauna and customs of the island.

Batteries on Madeira returned fire and eventually forced U-38 to withdraw.

Madeira died there on 1 April 1922 and his coffin lies in a chapel of the Church of Our Lady of Monte.

Madeira is on the same parallel as Bermuda a few time zones further west in the Atlantic.

Madeira island is home to several endemic plant and animal species.

The paleobotanical record of Madeira reveals that laurisilva forest has existed in this island for at least 1.

Madeira is very mountainous, and building the levadas was difficult and often convicts or slaves were used.

Madeira is an Outermost Region of the European Union, meaning that due to its geographical situation, it is entitled to derogation from some EU policies despite being part of the European Union.

The International Business Center of Madeira, known as Madeira Free Trade Zone, was created formally in the 1980s as a tool of regional economic policy.

The decision to create the International Business Center of Madeira was the result of a thorough process of analysis and study.

The IBC of Madeira has therefore been fully integrated in the Portuguese and EU legal systems and, as a consequence, it is regulated and supervised by the competent Portuguese and EU authorities in a transparent and stable business environment, marking a clear difference from the so-called "tax havens" and "offshore jurisdictions", since its inception.

Madeira well deserves its fanciful nicknames and the affection visitors and locals alike feel for this tiny volcanic island that offers so much.

Electricity on Madeira is provided solely through EEM and consists largely of fossil fuels, but with a significant supply of seasonal hydroelectricity from the levada system, wind power and a small amount of solar.

Folklore music in Madeira is widespread and mainly uses local musical instruments such as the machete, rajao, brinquinho and cavaquinho, which are used in traditional folkloric dances like the.

Emigrants from Madeira influenced the creation of new musical instruments.

Traditional pastries in Madeira usually contain local ingredients, one of the most common being mel de cana, literally "sugarcane honey" .

The traditional cake of Madeira is called Bolo de Mel, which translates as "Honey Cake" and according to custom, is never cut with a knife, but broken into pieces by hand.

Milho frito is a popular dish in Madeira that is similar to the Italian dish polenta fritta.

Madeira is known for the high quality of its cherimoya fruits.

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However, wine producers of Madeira discovered, when an unsold shipment of wine returned to the islands after a round trip, that the flavour of the wine had been transformed by exposure to heat and movement.

Today, Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process that involves heating the wine and deliberately exposing the wine to some levels of oxidation.

Madeira was the host of the 2003 World Handball Championship.

Annual Rally Vinho da Madeira is considered one of the biggest sporting events on the island whilst other popular sporting activities include golf at one of the island's two courses, surfing, scuba diving, and hiking.