Madeira Madeira Madeira ( , ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira ("Região Autónoma da Madeira"), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with the Azores). It is an archipelago situated in the north Atlantic Ocean, southwest of Portugal. Its total population was estimated in 2011 at 267,785. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, which is located on the main island's south coast. The archipelago is just under north of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Bermuda and Madeira, a few time zones apart, are the only land in the Atlantic on the 32nd parallel north. It includes the islands
Coat of arms of Madeira the first inhabitants of the island, and allude to the need to preserve this endangered species. The gold armillary sphere represents the Age of Discovery, initiated by the Portuguese, and King Manuel I of Portugal who ordered the settling of the archipelago. The Autonomous Region of Madeira motto, "Das Ilhas as Mais Belas e Livres", is Portuguese for "Of all islands, the most beautiful and free". Coat of arms of Madeira The coat of arms of the Portuguese Autonomous Region of Madeira consists of a shield azure a pale or charged with a Cross of Christ, with external elements. The