Funchal | Island of Madeira, Atlantic Coast, Cruise Destination

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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Funchal/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref272545"></span>Funchal</strong>, city and capital of the <em>região autónoma</em> (autonomous region) of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Madeira-Islands" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Madeira Islands</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Portugal" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Portugal</a> in the North <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Atlantic-Ocean" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Atlantic Ocean</a>. Funchal lies on the southern coast of Madeira Island.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Funchal was founded in 1421 by the Portuguese navigator João Gonçalves Zarco, and it was briefly under Spanish (1580–1640) and British (1801, 1807–14) control. It is now the headquarters of Madeiran industry, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="commerce" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/commerce" data-type="EB">commerce</a>, and communications and is the site of a relay station in the Atlantic <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/undersea-cable" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">submarine cable</a> system. The older part of the city focuses on the Sé <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cathedral-Christian-church" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">cathedral</a> (1485–1514) and has steep, narrow cobblestone streets. The buildings are generally whitewashed and are surrounded by gardens of tropical flowers; they line the curving shore of the Port of Funchal and spread inland on the lower slopes of an amphitheatre of mountains that reach 4,000 feet (1,200 metres) in elevation. Stone walls support sloping terraces on which there is year-round cultivation.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Tourism, based on the scenery and the mild year-round climate, is a major economic factor. Exports from Funchal include the famous <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Madeira-wine" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Madeira</a> wines, wickerwork, embroidery, fruit, fish, and dairy products. Economically significant industries include sugar milling, cabinetmaking, and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="distilling" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/distilling" data-type="EB">distilling</a>. Since 1960 Funchal’s harbour and cargo-handling facilities have been enlarged and modernized from time to time; it is now an important regional port of call and bunkering facility. The city also has an international airport. Pop. (2001) 103,961; (2011) 111,892.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/Jeff-Wallenfeldt/6749">Jeff Wallenfeldt</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":222038,"pageLength":230,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"SMALL","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Funchal | Island of Madeira, Atlantic Coast, Cruise Destination | Britannica