Madeira

The Madeira Archipelago is an Autonomous Region of the Portuguese Republic with its own legislative and executive bodies. In administrative terms, the territory is divided into 11 municipalities and 53 parishes.

The Autonomous Region of Madeira consists of the inhabited islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, and the uninhabited Ilhas Desertas and Ilhas Selvagens.

Opinions as to the use of Madeira have changed somewhat since its discovery in 1419. In the early days of settlement on Madeira, a shortage of man power was soon resolved with a raid on the prisons of Lisbon for a shipload of "degredados". However, long ago the getaway brigade discovered on this island a welcoming population, a wonderful climate, and today it offers increasing and diverse supply of hotels and other tourist accommodation to suit every taste.

Early tourists to Madeira were the passengers of the great ocean going liners. Madeira was an important coaling station, and excursions into the countryside were a pleasant days break from the rolling Atlantic. In 1894 William Reid opened his hotel on the Western edge of Funchal bay, and English tea has been served there ever since.

A collection of the eminent and infamous visited the island during this time, from George Bernard Shaw, who took time off to learn to dance, and Winston Churchill who painted the village of Camara de Lobos. On the back of Mr. Reid's success a number of other hotels followed suit, but beds were limited until the opening of the airport in 1963. Madeira also welcomed its share of exiles from Napoleon who stopped off on his way to St. Helena, to Charles Archduke of Austria, the last of the Habsburg Emperors who died, and was buried, in Monte.

The 1974 revolution, on 25 April was greeted enthusiastically in Madeira. In 1976 a constitution was drawn up in Lisbon which designated Madeira an Autonomous Region. Since 1976 the region has been governed by an overwhelming Popular Social Democratic majority (PSD), with the charismatic figure of Alberto João Jardim dominating the party and achieving systematic majorities in each election.

Capital: Funchal

Government: Autonomous region of Portugal

Area: 828 km²

Population: 245.806 (1996)

Currency: Portuguese escudo (100 centavos); since 1 January 2002: Euro (100 cents)

Internet TLD: .pt

Dialling code: +351 291

Associate member of: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 1995)

For more stamps see:

Azores

Portugal

Links

Madeira in Wikipedia.

Flag of Madeira in Flags of the World.

The website of the philatelic service shop (Portugal).

Official website of the government of Madeira (in Portuguese).

Stamp catalogue

World Tourism Conference, Manila

date: 17 September 1980

designer: Luís Filipe de Abreu

printer: Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, Lisbon, Portugal

perforated: 12:11¾

1 .50 carro de bois (ox-drawn carriage), conference emblem, text "CONFERÊNCIA / MUNDIAL / DE

TURISMO"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 64/SG 172/Yvert 69)

2 1.00 basket of grapes, Madeira wines, glasses, conference emblem, text "CONFERÊNCIA / MUNDIAL /

DE TURISMO"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 65/SG 173/Yvert 70)

3 5.00 map of Madeira Islands group with flowers and fruits, compass, conference emblem, text

"CONFERÊNCIA / MUNDIAL / DE TURISMO"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 66/SG 174/Yvert 71)

4 6.50 Madeira basket, embroidery, conference emblem, text "CONFERÊNCIA / MUNDIAL / DE

TURISMO"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 67/SG 175/Yvert 72)

5 8.00 orchid, conference emblem, text "CONFERÊNCIA / MUNDIAL / DE TURISMO"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 68/SG 176/Yvert 73)

6 30.00 fishing boat, conference emblem, text "CONFERÊNCIA / MUNDIAL / DE TURISMO"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 69/SG 177/Yvert 74)

International Year of Astronomy

date: 8 May 2009

designer: Atelier Acácio Santos, Elizabete Fonseca

photos: Pedro Ré, University of Madeira and Hugo Olim

printer: Cartor, France

perforated: 13 with Cross of Christ

size souv. sheet: 125 x 95 mm

7 € 0,68 spiral galaxy, Europa emblem

multicoloured

(cat. Michel /SG /Yvert )

8 € 1,36 souvenir sheet, IYA emblem, text "Telescópio construído por um aluno do curso / de Astronomia

(Telescópios e Detectores) / da Universidade da Madeira. / Telescope built by a student of the

Astronomy / degree (Telescopes and Detectors), / University of Madeira. / Imagem da Galáxia

espiral M51 / (constelação «Cães de Caça» - Canes venatici), / descoberta em 1773 por Charles

Messier, / obtida pelo Astrónomo Amador Pedro Ré. / Image of the spiral galaxy / (constellation

Canes venatici), / discovered in 1773 by Charles Messier, / captures by the amateur / Astronomer

Pedro Ré."

€ 0,68 telescope, Europa emblem

€ 0,68 spiral galaxy, Europa emblem

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block /SG MS /Yvert BF )

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last revised: 5 July 2009