Who is the most famous person from Madeira?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most famous person to come out of Portugal, as well as the most followed person on Instragam with 395 million followers. Born in Madeira, Ronaldo for many is the best football player of all time, having won a record of five Ballon d'Or awards.



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Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Madeira's economy boosted with the emergence of its world-famous wine. In fact, Madeira's fortified wine has not only accompanied many great meals, but also some of the world's most historically significant moments.

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Madeira is renowned for its landscapes, lore—and its legendary wine, which graced the tables of America's Founding Fathers.

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The British Empire occupied Madeira as a result of the Napoleonic Wars, a friendly occupation which concluded in 1814 when the island was returned to Portugal. The British first amicably occupied the island in 1801 whereafter Colonel William Henry Clinton became governor.

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The favorable climate of the island also contributed to the land thrive, and wheat production has become one of the greatest wealth of the island. This cereal was exported on a large scale for the Portuguese possessions on the African coast, giving thus the first cycle of Madeira economic history.

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Together with the islands of Porto Santo and Desertas and the Selvagens—Madeira forms an autonomous region of the country of Portugal.

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The average standard of living tends to be a bit lower than in mainland Portugal, and the local autonomous government gives generous subsidies coming from the tourist industry revenues and from the Portuguese national budget. Go where the locals go and everything will be cheap.

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Delicious dishes in Madeira include espetada, a beef brochette; battered black scabbard fish, which is similar to sword fish; bolo do caco, bread with butter and garlic; grilled limpets; and bolo de mel, a dense sponge cake with nuts and spices.

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Machico is the oldest town on the island, where, explorers Joao Goncalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira walked for the first time on Madeiran soil.

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With grand botanical gardens and impressive ocean panoramas from weathered palaces, the city rises up the mountainous hills to make the most of the splendid natural setting. Funchal is also the gateway to the rest of Madeira island's nature-laden attractions, with the archipelago's principal port and airport.

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Many emigrated illegally to escape military service and avoid the wars in the colonies (Angola and Mozambique), and also because they could not afford the high cost of the emigration process by legal means.

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