Description
Ports in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, important for sugar production and export in the 15th-16th centuries and, later, Madeira Wine, as well as serving as an Atlantic stopover.
Year of Foundation or Oldest Source
Portuguese discovery and colonization began in the 15th century (c. 1419-1425).
Country (State or Region)
Portugal
Location
Madeira Archipelago (Ex: Madeira Island - Funchal).
Structuring
Main port in Funchal, in an open bay. Infrastructure development over time. No specific details in the documents.
Notes
One of the first centers of large-scale sugar production with enslaved labor in the Atlantic, serving as a model for Brazil. Later, it became famous for the production of Madeira Wine, highly appreciated in Europe and the Americas. Important stopover on routes to West Africa, Brazil, and the West Indies.
Sources
O'FLANAGAN, Patrick. Port cities of Atlantic Iberia, c. 1500-1900. London: Routledge, 2008.
