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66-798: In spite of getting the name Grande Lisboa, the subregion did not take the entire area of the Lisbon metropolitan area , because it does not include the municipalities on the South bank of the Tagus river estuary, known as Península de Setúbal , which the term at times also applied to. The area is bordered in the North by the Centro Region , in the West by the Atlantic Ocean , in the East by

132-500: A buckling of the lithosphere . The ten tallest peaks in Madeira exemplify the island's diverse topography. Pico Ruivo is the highest at 1,862 metres. Madeira's mountaintops offer panoramic vistas of rugged terrain and the Atlantic Ocean , attracting hikers and nature enthusiasts seeking stunning views and challenging trails. Madeira island is at the top of a massive shield volcano that rises about 6 km (20,000 ft) from

198-506: A network of walking paths. Paths can provide easy and relaxing walks through the countryside, while others are narrow, crumbling ledges where a slip could result in injury or death. Some improvements have been made to these pathways following the 2010 Madeira floods and mudslides . Such improvements involved the continuous maintenance of streams, paving trails, and establishing safety fences on dangerous stretches. Due to its distinct geography, economy, social and cultural situation, as well as

264-474: A north-northeast to south-southwest axis that extends for 1,000 kilometres (540 nmi). This structure consists of long geomorphological relief that extends from the abyssal plain to 3,500 m (11,500 ft); its highest submersed point reaches a depth of about 150 m (490 ft) (around latitude 36°N). The origins of the Tore-Madeira Ridge are not clearly established, but may have resulted from

330-606: A number of houses and Santa Clara church were hit. The last Austrian Emperor , Charles I , was exiled to Madeira after the war. Determined to prevent an attempt to restore Charles to the throne, the Council of Allied Powers agreed he could go into exile on Madeira because it was isolated in the Atlantic and easily guarded. He died there on 1 April 1922 and his coffin lies in a chapel of the Church of Our Lady of Monte . The Madeira archipelago

396-619: A series of seven sketches of the island. In 1856, British troops recovering from cholera , and widows and orphans of soldiers fallen in the Crimean War , were stationed in Funchal, Madeira. During the Great War on 3 December 1916, a German U-boat , SM  U-38 , captained by Max Valentiner , entered Funchal harbour on Madeira. U-38 torpedoed and sank three ships, bringing the war to Portugal by extension. The ships sunk were: After attacking

462-422: A settlement. The new settlers observed "a heavy black cloud suspended to the southwest" and upon investigation discovered the larger island they called Madeira ( Portuguese : madeira , lit.   'wood'). The first Portuguese settlers began colonizing the islands around 1420 or 1425. The first settlers were the three captain- donees and their respective families, a small group of members of

528-617: A very narrow strait and lie 10,000 furlongs [2,000 km] from Africa. They are called the Isles of the Blessed ." Archaeological evidence suggests that the islands may have been visited by the Vikings sometime between 900 and 1030. Accounts by Muhammad al-Idrisi state that the Mugharrarin ("the adventurers" – seafarers from Lisbon) came across an island where they found "a huge quantity of sheep,

594-624: A violent storm, their ship ran aground along the coast of an island that may have been Madeira. Later this legend was the basis of the naming of the city of Machico on the island, in memory of the young lovers. Madeira appears in several medieval manuscripts, including the Book of Knowledge of All Kingdoms from the early 14th century, the Medici-Laurentian Atlas from 1351, the Soleri Portolani from 1380 and 1385 and Corbitis Atlas from

660-460: A way that it was not enough for domestic needs, so that sugar was imported to the island from other Portuguese colonies. Sugar mills were gradually abandoned, with few remaining, which gave way to other markets in Madeira. In the 17th century, as Portuguese sugar production was shifted to Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe and elsewhere, Madeira's most important commodity product became its wine. Sugar plantations were replaced by vineyards, originating in

726-457: A year. Madeira hosts lush laurel forests , while Porto Santo , a much flatter island, has a semiarid climate ( BSh ). In most winters snowfall occurs in the mountains. In the south, little is left of the indigenous subtropical rainforest that once covered the island (the original settlers set fires to clear the land for farming) and named it ( madeira means "wood" in Portuguese). However, in

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792-606: Is a metropolitan area in Portugal centered on Lisbon , the capital and largest city of the country. The metropolitan area, covering 17 cities in 18 municipalities , is the largest urban area in the country and the 10th largest in the European Union , with a population in 2023 of 2,961,177 in an area of 3,015.24 km². The Lisbon Metropolitan Area has the largest GDP (€76.4 billion) of any metropolitan area in Portugal. The region

858-478: Is a public collective person of associative nature, and of territorial scope that aims to reach common public interests of the municipalities that integrate it, that includes (18 City Halls) – Alcochete, Almada, Barreiro, Cascais, Lisboa, Loures, Mafra, Moita, Montijo, Odivelas, Oeiras, Palmela, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Seixal, Sintra and Vila Franca de Xira. The Grande Área Metropolitana de Lisboa was constituted, by public scripture, in 2004, and published on 5 July 2004, in

924-429: Is approximately 22 km (14 mi) at its widest point (from Ponta da Cruz to Ponta de São Jorge), with a coastline of 150 km (90 mi). It has a mountain ridge that extends along the centre of the island, reaching 1,862 metres (6,109 feet) at its highest point ( Pico Ruivo ), staying below 200 metres along its eastern extent. The primitive volcanic foci responsible for the central mountainous area, consisted of

990-514: Is entitled to derogation from some EU policies. According to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union , both primary and secondary European Union law applies to Madeira, with possible derogations to take account of its "structural social and economic situation (...) which is compounded by their remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, economic dependence on

1056-521: Is home to the largest tech hub in the country and a majority of Portugal's major multinational corporations by revenue are based there. Portugal has been through a period of administrative changes since the 1974 revolution. More recently, new standards of territorial administration have been implemented to match European Union criteria. After some years of indefinitions, municipalities are now associated in metropolitan areas or intermunicipal communities . These new regional divisions are colliding with

1122-480: Is known from the Selvagens , suggesting this seabird visited at least sporadically. Madeira is home to six species of brown mice, believed to be descendants of common European brown mice brought to the island by Vikings in the 9th century (or conceivably by 15th century Portuguese settlers), but diversified to the point where they cannot interbreed with their ancestral species or with one another. They have essentially

1188-666: Is located 520 km (280 nmi) from the African coast, 805 km (430 nmi) from the closest point in the European coast (the Portuguese town of Sagres , in Algarve ) and 1,000 km (540 nmi) from the capital of Portugal, Lisbon (approximately a one-and-a-half-hour flight). Madeira inhabits the extreme south of the Tore-Madeira Ridge , a bathymetric structure oriented along

1254-451: Is noted for its Madeira wine , flora , and fauna , with its pre-historic laurel forest , classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The destination is certified by EarthCheck . The main harbour in Funchal has long been the leading Portuguese port in cruise ship dockings, an important stopover for Atlantic passenger cruises between Europe, the Caribbean and North Africa . In addition,

1320-545: Is still open to this day. The British first amicably occupied the island in 1801 whereafter Colonel William Henry Clinton became governor. A detachment of the 85th Regiment of Foot under Lieutenant-colonel James Willoughby Gordon garrisoned the island. After the Peace of Amiens , British troops withdrew in 1802, only to reoccupy Madeira in 1807 until the end of the Peninsular War in 1814. In 1846 James Julius Wood wrote

1386-642: Is wet in the northwest, but dry in the southeast. In the 16th century the Portuguese started building levadas ( aqueducts ) to carry water to the agricultural regions in the south. Due to its mountainous landscape, building levadas promised to be a difficult venture, often tasked to criminals and convicts from continental Portugal to build these water canals. Many are cut into the mountainsides, accompanied by 40 km (25 mi) of tunnels, some of which are still accessible. Today levadas supply water and also provide hydro-electric power . Over 2,170 km (1,350 mi) of levadas were built and later provided

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1452-516: The African Tectonic Plate , although it is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from Portuguese settlers. Its population was 251,060 in 2021. The capital of Madeira is Funchal , on the main island's south coast. The archipelago includes the islands of Madeira , Porto Santo , and the Desertas , administered together with

1518-672: The Autonomous Region of Madeira ( Portuguese : Região Autónoma da Madeira ), is an autonomous region of Portugal . It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean , in the region of Macaronesia , just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of the Canary Islands — Spain —, 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Kingdom of Morocco and 805 kilometres (500 mi) southwest of mainland Portugal . Madeira sits on

1584-583: The Gulf Stream and Canary Current , giving it mild to warm year-round temperatures. According to the Instituto de Meteorologia (IPMA), the average annual temperature at Funchal weather station is 19.6 °C (67.3 °F) for the 1981–2010 period. Relief is a determinant factor on precipitation levels; areas such as the Madeira Natural Park can get as much as 2,800 mm (110 in) of precipitation

1650-582: The International Business Centre of Madeira , also known as the Madeira Free Trade Zone, was established in the 1980s. It includes (mainly tax-related) incentives. Plutarch in his Parallel Lives ( Sertorius , 75 AD) referring to the military commander Quintus Sertorius (d. 72 BC), relates that after his return to Cádiz , he met sailors who spoke of idyllic Atlantic islands: "The islands are said to be two in number separated by

1716-709: The Portuguese constitution and other laws, Madeira possesses its own political and administrative statute and has its own government . The branches of Government are the Regional Government and the Legislative Assembly , the latter elected by universal suffrage , using the D'Hondt method of proportional representation . The president of the Regional Government is appointed by the Representative of

1782-911: The Ribatejo region and in the South by the Tagus River estuary. This subregion is the leading services center for the entire country and it also has a large industrial output. It is served by the busiest Portuguese airport , an international harbor and an extensive network of highways, and mass transportation, like commuter, regional and international railways. The main urban centers are Lisboa , Amadora , Algueirão-Mem Martins , Agualva-Cacém , Queluz and Odivelas . [REDACTED] Media related to Grande Lisboa at Wikimedia Commons 38°42′N 9°11′W  /  38.700°N 9.183°W  / 38.700; -9.183 Lisbon metropolitan area The Lisbon Metropolitan Area ( Portuguese : Área Metropolitana de Lisboa ; abbreviated as AML )

1848-613: The Trocaz pigeon , the Madeira Chaffinch and the Madeira firecrest . In addition extinct species include the Madeiran scops owl , two rail species, Rallus adolfocaesaris and R. lowei , and two quail species, Coturnix lignorum and C. alabrevis , and the Madeiran wood pigeon , a subspecies of the common wood pigeon and which was last seen in the early 20th century. A Great Auk bone

1914-711: The West Indies and England itself. The Madeira wine became very popular in the markets and it is also said to have been used in a toast during the Declaration of Independence by the Founding Fathers of the United States . In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Madeira stands out for its climate and therapeutic effects. In the nineteenth century, visitors to the island integrated four major groups: patients, travellers, tourists and scientists. Most visitors belonged to

1980-531: The conquest of Ceuta and West Africans after further exploration of the African coast. Barbary corsairs from North Africa, who enslaved Europeans from ships and coastal communities throughout the Mediterranean region, captured 1,200 people in Porto Santo in 1617. Until the first half of the sixteenth century, Madeira was one of the major sugar markets of the Atlantic. Apparently, it is in Madeira that, in

2046-541: The African coast in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator , were driven off course by a storm to an island which they named Porto Santo (English: "holy harbour") in gratitude for divine deliverance from a shipwreck. The following year, Zarco and Vaz organised an expedition with Bartolomeu Perestrello . The trio travelled to the island of Porto Santo, claimed it on behalf of the Portuguese Crown, and established

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2112-589: The District of Lisbon and the District of Setubal collide and interfere with the Lisbon metropolitan area authority. Each District is ruled by a governador civil (civil governor). These governors are empowered by the Prime Minister of Portugal and have most of the administrative power over the municipalities comprised, leaving the metropolitan areas with a passive status and communitarian tasks. As an administrative entity,

2178-497: The III series of the Diário da República . It is composed by three organs: · Junta Metropolitana, executive organ, composed by the 18 presidents of the city halls that it integrates. They elect among themselves, a president and two vice presidents. Assembleia Metropolitana, legislative organ, composed by the chosen representatives in the municipal assembly of the city halls, in odd number, over

2244-399: The Lisbon metropolitan area was only created in 1991 in order to meet the needs of urban territories with a large population density surrounding the Portuguese capital. To definitely end with these anomalies, a national Referendum was held on November 8, 1998, in order to approve a new regionalization, which was rejected by over 60% of the voting population on account of disagreements over

2310-513: The Madeira sugar trade, with the refining and distribution concentrated in Antwerp. By the 1490s Madeira had overtaken Cyprus as a producer of sugar." Sugarcane production was the primary engine of the island's economy, which quickly afforded the Funchal metropolis economic prosperity. The production of sugar cane attracted adventurers and merchants from all parts of Europe, especially Italians , Basques , Catalans , and Flemish . This meant that, in

2376-673: The Republic according to the results of the election to the legislative assemblies. The sovereignty of the Portuguese Republic is represented in Madeira by the Representative of the Republic, appointed by the President of the Republic on the advice of the Government of the Republic . The tasks of the Representative of the Republic are to sign and order the publication of regional legislative decrees and regional regulatory decrees or to exercise

2442-414: The context of sugar production, slave labour was applied for the first time. The colonial system of sugar production was put into practice on the island of Madeira, on a much smaller scale, and later transferred, on a large scale, to other overseas production areas. Later on, this small scale of production was outmatched by Brazilian and São Tomean plantations. Madeiran sugar production declined in such

2508-474: The contribution of AML for the gross domestic product surpasses 36%. Today, the Lisbon metropolitan area territory is almost the same as Lisbon Region territory, being AML a union of metropolitan municipalities, and Lisbon Region a NUTS II region. It is bordered by the Oeste Intermunicipal Community ( Central Region ) to the north, Lezíria do Tejo to the northeast, Alentejo Central to

2574-410: The development of agriculture on the island, the settlers had to chop down part of the dense forest and build a large number of water channels, called “levadas”, to carry the abundant waters on the north coast to the south coast of the island. Initially, the settlers produced wheat for their own sustenance but later began to export wheat to mainland Portugal. In earlier times, fish and vegetables were

2640-612: The districts of Angra do Heroísmo, Horta and Ponta Delgada were substituted by the Autonomous Region of Açores with the seat of government being in Ponta Delgada, while the district of Funchal was replaced by the Autonomous Region of Madeira with a seat of government in Funchal . The Lisbon metropolitan area, centered in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon , is the largest population concentration in Portugal. The population in 2011

2706-489: The east and by Alentejo Litoral to the south, the former ones belonging to the wider Alentejo region . The municipalities north of the Tagus River are from Lisbon District (Grande Lisboa); those south of the river are from Setubal District (Península de Setúbal). The metropolitan area of Lisbon was a semiofficial structure. Recently, Portugal has been incrementing the powers held by these territorial organization organs. In

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2772-486: The first water-driven sugar mill on Madeira, sugar production increased to over 6,000 arrobas (an arroba was equal to 11 to 12 kilograms or 24 to 26 pounds) by 1455, using advisers from Sicily and financed by Genoese capital (Genoa acted as an integral part of the island economy until the 17th century). The accessibility of Madeira attracted Genoese and Flemish traders, who were keen to bypass Venetian monopolies. "By 1480 Antwerp had some seventy ships engaged in

2838-672: The floor of the Atlantic Ocean, on the Tore underwater mountain range. The volcano formed atop an east–west rift in the oceanic crust along the African Plate , beginning during the Miocene epoch (5 million years ago), continuing into the Pleistocene (700,000 years ago). This was followed by extensive erosion , producing two large amphitheatres opening southward in the central part of

2904-463: The gentry, people of modest conditions and some former inmates of the kingdom . The majority of settlers were fishermen and peasant farmers who willingly left Portugal for a new life on the islands, a better one, they hoped, than was possible in a Portugal which had been ravaged by the Black Death , and where the best farmlands were strictly controlled by the nobility. To have minimum conditions for

2970-462: The historical autonomic aspirations of the population, the Autonomous Regions of Madeira was established in 1976. Although it is a politico-administrative autonomous region, the Portuguese constitution specifies both a regional and national connection, obliging their administrations to maintain democratic principles and promote regional interests, while reinforcing national unity. As defined by

3036-429: The interior generally inaccessible. Daily life is concentrated in the many villages at the mouths of the ravines, through which the heavy autumn and winter rains travel to the sea. Madeira has many different bioclimates. Based on differences in sun exposure, humidity, and annual mean temperature, clear variations distinguish north- and south-facing regions, as well as some islands. The islands are strongly influenced by

3102-436: The island. Volcanic activity later resumed, producing scoria cones and lava flows atop the eroded shield. The most recent volcanic eruptions were on the west-central part of the island 6,500 years ago, creating more cinder cones and lava flows. It is the largest island of the group with an area of 741 km (286 sq mi), a length of 57 km (35 mi) (from Ponte de São Lourenço to Ponta do Pargo). It

3168-433: The late 14th century. These texts refer to Madeira as Lecmane , Lolegname, Legnami (the isle of wood), Puerto or Porto Santo, deserte or deserta, and desierta . It is widely accepted that knowledge of these Atlantic islands existed before their better-documented discovery and successful settlement by the Kingdom of Portugal . In 1418, two captains, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira , while exploring

3234-439: The loss of sovereignty of some districts to others (e.g. by the time of the referendum it was not known where the seat of government of the new "Estremadura & Ribatejo" region would be, which was a fusion of the District of Leiria with the District of Santarém, Leiria and Santarém being cities of the same size and importance). The Regionalization experiment in Portugal was only successful among insular regions like in 1976, when

3300-452: The meat of which was bitter and inedible" before going to the more inhabited Canary Islands , in Spain . This island, possibly Madeira or Hierro , must have been inhabited or previously visited by people for livestock to be present. During the reign of King Edward III of England , lovers Robert Machim and Anna d'Arfet were said to have fled from England to France in 1346. Driven off course by

3366-585: The moneyed aristocracy . As a result of a high demand for the season, there was a need to prepare guides for visitors. The first tourist guide of Madeira appeared in 1850 and focused on elements of history, geology, flora , fauna and customs of the island. Regarding hotel infrastructures, the British and the Germans were the first to launch the Madeiran hotel chain. The historic Belmond Reid's Palace opened in 1891 and

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3432-437: The north, the valleys harbor native trees. These laurissilva forests , notably those on the northern slopes, are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Madeira's paleobotanical record reveals that laurissilva forest has existed for at least 1.8 million years. Critically endangered species such as the vine Jasminum azoricum and the rowan Sorbus maderensis are endemic. The Madeiran large white butterfly

3498-525: The officialization of the Lisbon Great Metropolitan Area, Azambuja left due to being mostly a rustic zone, more kindred to the city of Santarém which lies just 23 km northeast, while Lisbon is 45 km away from Azambuja, southeast. In the official AML site is said: As stated on the law 10/2003, of the 13 of May, the Grande Área Metropolitana de Lisboa (Lisbon Great Metropolitan Area)

3564-457: The peaks: Ruivo (1,862 m), Torres (1,851 m), Arieiro (1,818 m), Cidrão (1,802 m), Cedro (1,759 m), Casado (1,725 m), Grande (1,657 m), Ferreiro (1,582 m). At the end of this eruptive phase, reefs encircled the island, its marine vestiges evident in a calcareous layer in the area of Lameiros, in São Vicente. Sea cliffs, such as Cabo Girão , valleys and ravines extend from this central spine, leaving

3630-637: The right of veto over regional laws, should these laws be unconstitutional. Before the sixth amendment to the Portuguese Constitution passed in 2006, this responsibility was held by a more-powerful Minister of the Republic, who was proposed by the Government and appointed by the President. Madeira is an Outermost Region (OMR) of the European Union , meaning that due to its geographical situation, it

3696-405: The same genes, but rearranged to give different chromosome numbers: the ancestral species has 40 chromosomes, whereas the Madeira species have from 22 to 30. The deep valleys of Madeira are separated by high ground, and the different species of mice do not encounter each other. A levada is an irrigation channel or aqueduct specific to the Portuguese Atlantic region of Madeira. Madeira island

3762-438: The second half of the fifteenth century, the city of Funchal became a mandatory port of call for European trade routes. Slaves were used during the island's period of sugar trade to cultivate sugar cane alongside paid workers, though slave owners were only a small minority of the Madeiran population, and those who did own slaves owned only a few. Slaves consisted of Guanches from the nearby Canary islands, captured Berbers from

3828-562: The separate archipelago of the Savage Islands . Roughly half of the population lives in Funchal. The region has political and administrative autonomy through the Administrative Political Statute of the Autonomous Region of Madeira provided for in the Portuguese Constitution . The region is an integral part of the European Union as an outermost region . Madeira generally has a mild/moderate subtropical climate with mediterranean summer droughts and winter rain. Many microclimates are found at different elevations. Madeira, uninhabited at

3894-400: The settlers' main means of subsistence. Grain production began to fall and the ensuing crisis forced Henry the Navigator to order other commercial crops to be planted so that the islands could be profitable. These specialised plants, and their associated industrial technology, created one of the major revolutions on the islands and fuelled Portuguese industry. Following the introduction of

3960-469: The ships, U-38 bombarded Funchal for two hours from a range of about 3 kilometres (2 mi). Batteries on Madeira returned fire and eventually forced U-38 to withdraw. On 12 December 1917, two German U-boats, SM U-156 and SM U-157 (captained by Max Valentiner ), again bombarded Funchal. This time the attack lasted around 30 minutes. The U-boats fired 40 120 and 150 mm (4.7 and 5.9 in) shells. There were three fatalities and 17 wounded;

4026-429: The so-called ‘Wine Culture’, which acquired international fame and provided the rise of a new social class, the Bourgeoisie . With the increase of commercial treaties with England, important English merchants settled on the Island and, ultimately, controlled the increasingly important island wine trade. The English traders settled in the Funchal as of the seventeenth century, consolidating the markets from North America,

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4092-439: The time, was claimed by Portuguese sailors in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1419 and settled after 1420. The archipelago is the first territorial discovery of the exploratory period of the Age of Discovery . Madeira is a year-round resort, particularly for Portuguese, but also British (148,000 visits in 2021), and Germans (113,000). It is by far the most populous and densely populated Portuguese island. The region

4158-457: The traditional Portuguese regional structures: Distritos (Districts). Districts were implemented in the 19th century by Mouzinho da Silveira after the Liberal Revolution of 1820 , to replace clerical dioceses (which held the intermediate authority between the absolute monarchy and the municipalities), and still are the official regional authorities in Portugal, thus leaving the new metropolitan authorities with no authority at all. For instance,

4224-416: The triple the number of the towns that it integrates, in a maximum of 55. Conselho Metropolitano, consultative organ, composed by representatives of the state and by the members of the Junta Metropolitana. Madeira Madeira ( / m ə ˈ d ɪər ə / mə- DEER -ə or / m ə ˈ d ɛər ə / mə- DAIR -ə ; European Portuguese: [mɐˈðɐjɾɐ] ), officially

4290-418: Was 2,821,876, of whom 547,733 (19.4%) live in the city of Lisbon. About 26.7% of the total population of Portugal lives in the Lisbon metropolitan area. The area of the Lisbon metropolitan area is 3,015.24 km , which is 3.3% of the total area of Portugal. The Lisbon metropolitan area has an active population of about 1.3 million people. With 32.7% of the national employment being located in its territory,

4356-418: Was an endemic subspecies of the large white that inhabited the laurissilva forests but has not been seen since 1977. Hogna ingens , the Deserta Grande wolf spider, is endemic to the Madeira archipelago, specifically Deserta Grande Island . It is critically endangered. It is considered the largest member of its family . Restoration efforts are underway. Three species of birds are endemic to Madeira:

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