Madeira

The location of the islands in the EU.

Madeira is an archipelago, which is a part of Portugal. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean, west of the coast of Morocco and north of the Canary Islands. Alongside the Azores, Madeira is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal. The capital of the archipelago is Funchal.

In 1419, the archipelago was discovered by some Portuguese sailors and a year later the Portuguese settled on the islands. Today, Madeira is a popular tourist destination. It is noted for its nature, good climate, historical and cultural value and above all the Madeira wine. In the 80s, the islands were a special economic zone to boost the local economy. Some businesses still have offices in Madeira, for they have to less taxes over there. The islands are, like Portugal, a part of the European Union.

The archipelago exists of two main islands, which are Madeira and Porto Santo. Some of the smaller islands are called the Desertas islands.