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Madeira

 

Contents

• Flag

• Meaning/Origin of the Flag

• Map

• Numbers and Facts

• History

• Origin of the Country's Name



Flag

National flag Flagge Fahne flag Distrito Funchal Arquipélago da Madeira
Flag of Madeira,
ratio = 2:3,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)



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Meaning/Origin of the Flag

The flag of Madeira shows three vertical stripes in the colours blue, yellow and blue with a red (really auburn) paw-cross in the middle (the cross of the Order of Christ). The color blue stands for the sea and yellow for the mainland. Blue and yellow have a regional big significance, and even the neighbouring, however to Spain belonging Canary Islands use blue and yellow in its flag. The cross of the Order of Christ is a Portugese symbol, which was in the 17th century the official emblem of the state of Portugal. The Portugese Order of Christ has its roots directly in the Templar Order and had in Portugal quasi a state character. It advocates the Portugese discoveries and conquests, in this way as well the appropriation of Madeidra in the year 1419.

Source: Flaggen Enzyklopädie, Flags of the World, Wikipedia (DE)

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Map

Größere Karte anzeigen
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Numbers and Facts

Area: 309 square miles, thereof: Main Island Madeira 286 sq.mi., Porto Santo Island 17 sq.mi., and Desertas Islands 0,5 sq.mi. (uninhabited), incorporated are furthermore the 108 mi. distant and uninhabited Selvagens Islands (0,77 km²)

Inhabitants: 235.166 (2010)

Density of Population: 760 inh./sq.mi.

Capital: Funchal, 111.892 inh. (2011)

official Language: Portugese

Currency: Portugese currency

Time Zone: GMT

Source: Wikipedia (DE)

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History

antiquity · the uninhabited islands are well known the Greeks and Romans, but fell later into oblivion

1418 · the islands become re-discovered by the Portugese seafarers João Gonçalves and Tristão Vaz

1420 · initial Portugese settlement, foundation of the town Funchal

1479–1482 · Christoph Columbus lives on the archipelago

1497 · Madeira becomes officially incorporated into the Kingdom of Portugal, Funchal becomes capital

1801–1807 · occupation by British troops, establishment of the fleet base for the struggle against Napoléon

1976 · interior autonomy

Source: Wikipedia (D), Discovery '97

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Origin of the Country's Name

The denomination Madeira means "wood". The first Portugese used this name for the island as they saw its wood abundance.

Source: Handbuch der geographischen Namen

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