Some 750,000 people, mostly resident in South Africa, Venezuela and more increasingly in the countries of the EU, call themselves Madeiran.

Is Madera Spanish or Portuguese?

Madeira is a Portuguese island, and is the largest and most populous of the Madeira Archipelago.

Who were the original inhabitants of Madeira?

The first Portuguese settlers began colonizing the islands around 1420 or 1425. The first settlers were the three captain-donees and their respective families, a small group of members of the gentry, people of modest conditions and some former inmates of the kingdom.