Madeirais aPortuguesearchipelagosituated in the northAtlantic Ocean, southwest of Portugal. The capital of Madeira isFunchalon the main island's south coast.Since 1976, the archipelago has been one of the twoAutonomous regions of Portugal(the other being theAzores, located to the northwest). It includes the islands ofMadeira,Porto Santo, and theDesertas, administered together with the separate archipelago of theSavage Islands. It is anoutermost region of the European Union.
Today, it is a popular year-roundresort, being visited every year by about one million tourists.The region is noted for itsMadeira wine, gastronomy, historical and cultural value, itsfloraandfauna, landscapes (Laurel forest) which are classified as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Siteand embroidery artisans. Its annual New Year celebrations feature the largestfireworks showin the world, as officially recognised byGuinness World Recordsin 2006.The main harbour inFunchalis the leading Portuguese port in cruise liner dockings,being an important stopover for commercial and trans-Atlantic passenger cruises between Europe, theCaribbeanand North Africa. Madeira is the second richest region of Portugal by GDP per capita, being only surpassed byLisbon.
