Administrative divisions of Portugal (on Terceira Island), the historical and cultural capital, is the home of the Azorean judiciary and seat of the Diocese of the Azores. Madeira is an archipelago that includes two principal islands, Madeira and Porto Santo, plus two uninhabited natural group of islands, the Desertas and Savage Islands (). The archipelago is located closer to Africa than Europe, is highly commercial and urbanized; its regional capital (Funchal) is developmentally comparable to urban centers in the Canary or Balearic Islands. The division of the Portuguese territory is established in title eight (Título VIII) of the Portuguese constitution: granting local authority to
Madeira wine the second year following the harvesting and are typically batch wines. Because of this unique process, Madeira is a very robust wine that can be quite long lived even after being opened. Some wines produced in small quantities in Crimea, California and Texas are also referred to as "Madeira" or "Madera". Most countries conform to the EU PDO regulations and limit the use of the term "Madeira" or "Madère" to only those wines that come from the Madeira Islands. The roots of Madeira's wine industry date back to the Age of Exploration, when Madeira was a regular port of call