Porto Santo
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Archipelago	Madeira Islands
Area	42. History See also History of Madeira Pre-Portuguese times Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands the position of which with reference to the 27 km² 402 m
Administration
Portugal
Autonomous Region	Madeira Islands
Largest city	Porto Santo (town) (4,474)
Demographics
Population	4,474 (as of 2001)
Density	106/km²

Porto Santo Island (pron. IPA: ['poɾtu 'sɐ̃tu]) is a Portuguese island 50 km northeast of Madeira Island in the North Atlantic Ocean. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The administrative divisions of Portugal are undergoing changes History See also History of Madeira Pre-Portuguese times Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands the position of which with reference to the Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand History See also History of Madeira Pre-Portuguese times Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands the position of which with reference to the Administratively, it is part of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. History See also History of Madeira Pre-Portuguese times Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands the position of which with reference to the The main urban area in which is one of the five Portuguese municipalities that have only one parish is the city of Porto Santo, also known as Vila Baleira (pron. IPA: ['vilɐ bɐ'lɐiɾɐ]). In Portugal, municipality (município or concelho (meaning "council" is the most stable Subdivision of Portugal since the foundation "Freguesia" ( pron fɾɛgɨ'ziɐ is the Portuguese term for Civil parish, a secondary Local administrative unit in Portugal Vila Baleira is a cityin the island and municipality of Porto Santo. The population in 2001 was 4,474. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The density was 106. 1/km². The island also has an airport which serves flights to Funchal, which is only a 15-minute flight away. Churches and Parishes Imaculado Coração de Maria Monte Santa Luzia Santa Maria Maior It is the northernmost and the easternmost island of the Madeira Archipelago. The municipality has no land boundaries and is encircled by the Atlantic Ocean. The nearest place is Machico in the island of Madeira to the southwest which serves as its port to Funchal. History Machico was the firts place in the island of Madeira were the Portuguese explorers João Gonçalves Zarco, Tristão Vaz Teixeira and Bartolomeu History See also History of Madeira Pre-Portuguese times Pliny mentions certain Purple Islands the position of which with reference to the The length of the island is about 9 km. The main industry is tourism.

Geography

The island of Porto Santo as seen from the air

The house of Christopher Columbus in Porto Santo.

The island's geography includes farmlands in the southern and central parts and further to the south a long shoreline with a few beaches, forests and grasslands to the west, rocky ledges and cliffs with a longer coastline to its north, forests to the northeast, drylands with grasses to the northern part and mountains along the northeastern part with about five to six main mountaintops with a few grasslands. Much of the coastline is to the west, the north and the east. There are islets to the north east and a small peninsula with a mountaintop in the eastern end of the main island. Porto Santo has about 9 km of sandy beaches while Madeira island has virtually none, with tiny exceptions such as Calheta.

• Location of Vila Baleira:
  • Latitude: 33. 0667 (33°4') N
  • Longitude: 16. 33 (16°20') W
• Altitude:
  • Lowest: Atlantic Ocean
  • Centre: 175 m (577 feet)

History

The official discovery of Porto Santo occurred in 1418, with the trip of the knights of Infant Henry, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, in accordance with the orders of king D. The Infante Henrique Duke of Viseu ( Porto, March 4, 1394 – Sagres, November 13, 1460) pron João Gonçalves Zarco, later João Gonçalves Zarco da Câmara de Lobos or simply João Gonçalves Zarco da Câmara (c Tristão Vaz Teixeira (c 1395 &ndash 1480 was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who together with João Gonçalves Zarco and Bartolomeu Perestrelo John I.

Its captain-donee was Bartolomeu Perestrelo, that received letter of donation in November of 1445. Bartolomeu Perestrello 1st Capitão Donatário, Lord and Governor of the Island of Porto Santo (c The name of Porto Santo (Holy Port) was given, originally to the bay that, in the south coast, served of shelter when the navigators had been gathered by a storm.

In the first centuries of settling, the development of this place knew some difficulties due to scarcity of water and to the assaults of Algerian and French pirates. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering

• The discoveries of Porto Santo and Madeira were first described by Gomes Eannes de Azurara in Chronica da Descoberta e Conquista da Guiné. Gomes Eannes de Zurara, Gomes Eanes de Zurara (c 1410 – 1474 was the second of the notable Portuguese Chroniclers after Fernão Lopes. (Eng. version by Edgar Prestage in 2 vols. issued by the Hakluyt Society, London, 1896-1899: The Chronicle of Discovery and Conquest of Guinea. )

• Arkan Simaan relates in French these discoveries in his novel: L’Écuyer d’Henri le Navigateur, published by Éditions l’Harmattan. Arkan Simaan is a French historian of science and a novel writer

Tourism

The famous 9 km beach of Porto Santo

The 9km long sandy beach is the main attraction for tourists.

Christopher Columbus married and lived there for some time. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Columbus' house is now a museum that presents a permanent exhibition about his life and family ties with Porto Santo, as well as temporary art exhibitions.

The island has a golf course that is promoted by Spanish golfing champion Severiano Ballesteros. A golf course consists of a series of holes each consisting of a Teeing ground, Fairway, rough and other hazards and a green with a pin and cup all designed for Career outline Early life and career Ballesteros was born in Pedreña, Cantabria, Spain. Porto Santo Golf Course will be the largest course in the whole of the Madeira Archipelago once the planned second course is completed and will be able to accommodate 500 players at once. At the moment (2008) there is one 18-hole golf course and one nine-hole course. Porto Santo golf complex, includes eight tennis courts and an equestrian center, circles Pico Ana Ferreira.

Porto Santo has several schools, a lyceum, a gymnasium, several churches, a square (praça), a Congress Centre, a museum, shopping centres, bars, and restaurants. This article is about Lyceum as school or as public hall Lyceum can also be short for Lyceum Theatre. Public square and city square redirect here For Public Square Cleveland see Public Square and for City Square in Leeds see Leeds City Square.

Settlements and geographic areas

City of Porto Santo Coat of Arms

External links

Photos from Porto Santo