A levada is an irrigation channel or aqueduct specific to the Portuguese Atlantic region of Madeira.
A levada is an irrigation channel or aqueduct specific to the Portuguese Atlantic region of Madeira.
In Madeira, the levadas originated out of the necessity to bring large amounts of water from the west and northwest of the island to the drier southeast, which is more conductive to habitation and agriculture, such as sugar cane production. They were also used by women in the past to wash clothes in areas where running water was not available at homes. Similar examples can still be found in Iberia, such as some aqueducts in Spain.[ citation needed ]
In the sixteenth century the Portuguese started building levadas to carry water to the agricultural regions. The most recent were made in the 1940s. Madeira is very mountainous, and building the levadas was often difficult. Many are cut into the sides of mountains, and it was also necessary to dig 25 kilometres (16 mi) of tunnels.[ citation needed ]
Today the levadas not only supply water to the southern parts of the island, they also provide hydroelectric power. There are more than 2,170 kilometres (1,350 mi) of levadas and they provide a remarkable network of walking paths. Some provide easy and relaxing walks through beautiful countryside, but others are narrow, crumbling ledges where a slip could result in serious injury or death.[ citation needed ]
A popular levada to hike is the Levada do Caldeirão Verde which continues as the Levada Caldeirão do Inferno. Altogether it is about 37 km (23 mi) long. Along both parts there are long sections which may cause hikers to suffer vertigo; and several tunnels for which flashlights and helmets are essential. The Levada do Caniçal is a much easier walk. This levada runs 11.5 km (7+1⁄8 mi) from Maroços to the Caniçal Tunnel. It is known as the mimosa levada because acacias (commonly misnamed mimosas) are found all along the route. [1]
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management or for conveyancing water transport vehicles. They carry free, calm surface flow under atmospheric pressure, and can be thought of as artificial rivers.
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 a region known as 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 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.
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The Eifel Aqueduct was one of the longest aqueducts of the Roman Empire.
Ilha is a civil parish in the municipality of Santana in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 255, in an area of 14.19 km².
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Pico do Areeiro, at 1,818 m (5,965 ft) high is a mountain located on the Portuguese island and autonomous region of Madeira, the third highest on the island. Situated within the mountainous interior of the island roughly halfway between the northern and southern coasts. It is a popular year round tourist attraction with the summit accessible by road directly from Funchal. On a clear day it is possible to see the neighboring island of Porto Santo, 48 km (30 mi) to the northeast.
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An aqueduct is a watercourse constructed to carry water from a source to a distribution point far away. In modern engineering, the term aqueduct is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose. The term aqueduct also often refers specifically to a bridge carrying an artificial watercourse. Aqueducts were used in ancient Greece, ancient Near East, and ancient Rome. The simplest aqueducts are small ditches cut into the earth. Much larger channels may be used in modern aqueducts. Aqueducts sometimes run for some or all of their path through tunnels constructed underground. Modern aqueducts may also use pipelines. Historically, agricultural societies have constructed aqueducts to irrigate crops and supply large cities with drinking water.
Aqueducts are bridges constructed to convey watercourses across gaps such as valleys or ravines. The term aqueduct may also be used to refer to the entire watercourse, as well as the bridge. Large navigable aqueducts are used as transport links for boats or ships. Aqueducts must span a crossing at the same level as the watercourses on each end. The word is derived from the Latin aqua ("water") and ducere, therefore meaning "to lead water". A modern version of an aqueduct is a pipeline bridge. They may take the form of tunnels, networks of surface channels and canals, covered clay pipes or monumental bridges.
On the island of Madeira, a large number of different sports are practiced, both outdoor and indoor the various facilities available throughout the island.
Pīr Kanthi is located in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir, in the mountains of the Pir Panjal Range. It is estimated to be 3,243 metres above sea level.
