1st July: Madeira Day

Madeira consists of a group of islands 400km north of Tenerife. It was part of Portugal but has its own government as of 1 July 1976. Some facts about Madeira that you may not know:

1. The population is around 270,000, most of whom live on the main island of Madeira. The other, smaller islands are Porto Santo, the Desertas Islands and the Savage Islands.
2. The region was discovered by accident when, in 1418, two captains under service to Prince Henry the Navigator, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, were driven off course by a storm. They found Porto Santo first, and gave it that name, which means "holy harbour", as they were so thankful to God for providing them with a safe place to anchor. As explorers tend to do, they returned the following year to claim it for their country. This time, they noticed what they thought was "a heavy black cloud suspended to the southwest" but on further investigation, it turned out to be the larger island of Madeira.
3. Although Madeira island is a small place (740.7 km2/286 sq mi) it has the largest Firework display at New Year, officially recognised by Guinness World Records in 2006.
4. The name Madeira means Island of Wood, after the forests that covered it before settlement.
5. The capital, Funchal, is named for the fennel that grew there.
6. The History Channel rates Funchal Airport as the 9th most dangerous airport in the world. In the late 20th century, it would probably have ranked even higher - it had a very short runway which was not only subject to unpredictable air currents but dropped sharply off a cliff. After a fatal crash in 1977, the runway was realigned and extended out into the sea, a platform supported by columns. Not only was this safer (although it is still the second most dangerous airport in Europe, after Gibraltar) but it enabled larger planes to land, bringing more tourists.
7. The Patron saint is Nossa Senhora do Monte.
8. The island is mountainous and has several microclimates, meaning parts of it are very rainy while other parts are very dry. To solve this problem the people built a network of aqueducts, called levadas, which still carry Water today, and also provide hydro-electric power. Some of the levadas have paths alongside which are popular, and not too taxing, walking routes, while others are quite treacherous.
9. The highest point on the island is Pico Ruivo at 1,862 m (6,109 ft).
10. There is a romantic tale of two lovers, Robert Machim and Anna d'Arfet, who fled from England to France in 1346, and like the two captains, were driven off course by a violent storm. Their ship crashed along the coast of an island, which may have been Madeira; the town of Machico, was named after the boy in the tale.