Geography

Paul da Serra, Madeira

Photo: John Caddick

The Madeiran archipelago is administered from Ilha Madeira centred on 32°45' N and 17°00' W in the Atlantic Ocean having a total land area of nearly 800 km2.

The archipelago consists of the inhabited islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, and the uninhabited Ilhas Desertas and Ilhas Selvagens (30°N and 16°W). It should be noted that Ilhas Selvagens is closer in distance to the Canary Islands than Madeira.

The highest point of the mountainous main island is Pico Ruivo at 1,861 m. Madeira has a mild sub-tropical climate with warm summers and exceptionally mild winters. Temperatures fluctuate between 16°C and 19°C in winter and 21°C and 25°C in summer. The main rainfall is in autumn and spring. Madeira can be battered by strong northerly winds at times.

The population of the archipelago is approximately 260,000 with 5,000 on Porto Santo and the rest living on the main island with about half of these in the capital, Funchal. Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal and English is widely spoken in addition to Portuguese.

Madalena do Mar, Madeira

Photo: John Caddick

Last page update 20th June 2010