Madeira, officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira, is one of two autonomous regions of Portugal, the other being the Azores. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north of the Canary Islands and 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Kingdom of Morocco. Madeira is geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, although it is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from the original Portuguese settlers. Its population was 251,060 in 2021. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, which is located on the main island's south coast.
The two Autonomous Regions of Portugal from 1999 are the Azores and Madeira. Together with Continental Portugal, they form the Portuguese Republic.
In Portugal, a public holiday is a calendar date, legally recognised and defined in the Labour Code as well as the Concordat of 2004, on which most businesses and non-essential services are closed. On some of these dates, public commemorative festivities are traditionally held.
The Madeira Archipelago Liberation Front, or FLAMA, was a right-wing terrorist paramilitary organisation from Madeira, whose main goal was to achieve Madeira's independence from mainland Portugal.
The Diário da República (DR) is the official gazette of Portugal. Between 1869 and 1976, it was called the Diário do Governo.
The coat of arms of the Portuguese Autonomous Region of Madeira consists of a shield azure a pale or charged with a Cross of Christ, with external elements. The shield was established by the Regional Decree 30/78/M of 12 September 1978. The external elements were established by Regional Legislative Decree 11/91/M of 24 April 1991.
The Hino da Região Autónoma da Madeira is the official anthem of Madeira, an autonomous North Atlantic archipelago of Portugal. It was adopted in 1980, through Regional Decree 12/80/M of September 16. The lyrics are by Ornelas Teixeira and the music by João Víctor Costa.
The political status of the Azores is defined by the Political-Administrative Statute of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, which acts as the standard legal constitutional framework for the autonomy of the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It defines the scope of the autonomous regional government and the structure and functioning of the region's organs of government within the framework of the 1976 Constitution of Portugal. The autonomous region of Madeira has a similar status.
The president of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira is the speaker of the regional parliament of this autonomous region of Portugal.
Madeira Day, celebrated in Madeira on 1 July, is a holiday marking the date when Portuguese explorers arrived in Machico's bay in 1419 and Portugal granted autonomy to Madeira in 1976. It is a public holiday in the Autonomous Region.
A regional election was held in Madeira on 9 October 2011, to determine the composition of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. In the election, the Social Democratic Party, led by Alberto João Jardim, who has been in power since 1978, archived, once again, an absolute majority.
Azores Day is a regional holiday in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It commemorates the establishment of Azorean political autonomy in the Portuguese Constitution, following the Carnation Revolution. The date corresponds to the Festival of the Holy Spirit, a celebration based in the archipelago's religious and cultural history, held on the Sunday of Pentecost, a movable public holiday observed only in the archipelago of the Azores.
The Azores Regional Election (1976) was an election held on 27 June 1976 for the first Legislative Assembly of the Portuguese Autonomous Region of the Azores.
The Protected Areas of the Azores are the basic administrative-territorial and conservation structures in the archipelago of the Azores and the surrounding oceans. The areas integrate the entirety of the Azores within its Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as the surrounding waters, under the international agreements and conventions. The network realizes the categorization of management for protected areas adopted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), adapting it to the specific geographical, environmental, cultural and political-administrative territory of the archipelago.
The Legislative Assembly of Madeira is the legislature of the Portuguese autonomous region of Madeira. The last regional election was held on 26 May 2024, won by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 49,104 votes.
The Medal of Merit of the Autonomous Region of Madeira is the highest honour given by the autonomous region. The medal is awarded by the Legislative Assembly of Madeira to 'natural or legal entities, public or private, national or foreign, living or posthumously, who have rendered outstanding services to the Region or who, for any other reason, the Region understands that must be distinguish ”.
The Autonomic Insignia of Valour is the second highest honor awarded by the Regional Government of Madeira, which “aims to distinguish, in life or posthumously, citizens, communities or institutions that stand out for personal or institutional merits, acts, acts services rendered to the Region ”.
The Autonomic Insignia of Distinction is the third highest honor awarded by the Regional Government of Madeira, which “aims to distinguish, in life or posthumously, citizens, communities or institutions that stand out for personal or institutional merits, acts, acts services rendered to the Region ”.
The Azorean Autonomic Insignia are regional honours in the Azores region, Portugal, which were created by Regional Legislative Decree n. 36/2002/A, of 28 November and are regulated by Regional Legislative Decree n. 10/2006/A, of 20 March. The aim of the honours are to distinguish, in life or posthumously, citizens or legal persons who stand out for personal or institutional merits, acts, civic deeds or services rendered to the Azorean people. The attribution of the Azorean Autonomic Insignia is made through parliamentary decision and they are usually awarded on the Region's Day, in a solemn session co-chaired by the Presidents of the Legislative Assembly and the Regional Government of the Azores.
The next Madeiran regional election will be held on or before October 2028, the composition of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The election will replace all 47 members of the Madeira Assembly, and the new members will then elect the President of the Autonomous Region.
