Funchal

Funchal (pronounced|fũˈʃaɫˤ), population 100,526 [ [http://62.48.187.117/atlas/Cap2/Cap2d_2.html UMA POPULAÇÃO QUE SE URBANIZA, Uma avaliação recente - Cidades, 2004] Nuno Pires Soares, Instituto Geográfico Português (Geographic Institute of Portugal)] , is the capital of the Madeira Islands of Portugal. Funchal is also the largest city on the islands and with its neighbouring boroughs has over 150,000 inhabitants.

Funchal is located in a unique area; the natural geological features form an "amphitheatre" surrounding the city, which begins at the harbour and rises almost 1200 metres high on gentle slopes. This provides a natural shelter and was what attracted the first settlers.

Madeira's capital for more than five centuries, Funchal is said to have been named as such because of the abundance of fennel ("funcho" - in Portuguese) that was growing there.

Part of Funchal Municipality are the Savage Islands one nature reserve 160 km (100 mi) South of Funchal.

Funchal is bypassed by a superhighway to the north east and southwest which accesses to Santa Cruz, the Madeira airport and Ribeira Brava.

Churches and Parishes

* Imaculado Coração de Maria
* Monte
* Santa Luzia
* Santa Maria Maior
* Santo António
* São Gonçalo
* São Martinho
* São Pedro
* São Roque
* Sé

There are 10 Roman Catholic parishes in Funchal region. The most populated is Santo António.

The British cemetery (or "Protestant Cemetery") in Funchal is located by the Holy Trinity Church. It contains the remains of a number of famous people, including Paul Langerhans, the discover of the insulin-producing islets in the pancreas which bear his name. [http://www.holytrinity-madeira.com/html/the_cemetery.html]

History

It was founded by João Gonçalves Zarco in 1421 and was elevated to city status by King Manuel I of Portugal in 1508.

In the early 1400s, Álvaro Fernandes was the commander of Funchal.

In the 16th century Funchal was important as a stopping place between the Indies and the New World, and was known as a wealthy place. It was also the port for Madeiran sugar and wine.Nowadays Funchal is a major turistic atraction,with several hotels,animportant port(harbour):Porto do Funchal and an International Airport Madeira/Funchal (FNC),located in nearby municipality of Santa Cruz,(Madeira Island).Funchal is the main hub in autonomous region of Madeira,and it is the portuguese the most prominent and largest city outside the mainland Portugal(Portugal Continental.The city and municipality of Funchalcoexiste as one with aproximatly 100,000 inhabitantes;however the urban conurbation of Funchal has about 150,000 residents in the cities of Greater Funchal: Funchal,Câmara de Lobos,Caniço,Santa Cruz and Machico.

Famous people

*Cristiano Ronaldo, Football Player of Manchester United
*José Vicente Barbosa (May 2, 1823 - November 3, 1907) Zoologist
*Artur de Sousa Pinga, Legendary Portuguese football player
*Alberto João Jardim, President of the Regional Government of Madeira
*Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos, "former" Archbishop of Goa, India
*Cabral do Nascimento, Poet
*Pedro Camacho, Composer
*João Fernandes Vieira, Military
*Vânia Fernandes, Singer, Portugal's Eurovision Song Contest 2008 Contestant
*Fátima Lopes, Fashion Designer
*Mark Athias, Investigator and Reformer
*Henrique Franco, Painter
*Victor Costa, Composer
*Jorge Borges, Jazz Pianist
*Bruno Santos, Jazz Guitarist
*Eurico Martins, Famous Badolins Orchestra Conductor and Orchestrator
*Moises Henriques, Australian Cricketer
*Herberto Hélder, Poet

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.cm-funchal.pt/cmf/en/ Municipality official site]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=&ie=UTF8&ll=32.64803,-16.9068&spn=0.016405,0.040255&t=k&om=1 Funchal on Google Maps]
* [http://terraserver.microsoft.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=14&lon=-16.9833&lat=&32.633w=750&h=500 Aerial photograph from Microsoft Terraserver]