Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

FUNCHAL

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V11, Page 301 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

FUNCHAL , the See also:

capital of the Portuguese See also:archipelago of the Madeiras; on the See also:south See also:coast of See also:Madeira, in 32° 37' N. and 16° 54' W. Pop. (1900) 20,850. Funchal is the see of a See also:bishop, in the archiepiscopal See also:province of See also:Lisbon; it is also the administrative centre of the archipelago, and the See also:residence of the See also:governor and See also:foreign consuls. The See also:city has an attractive See also:appearance from the See also:sea. Its whitewashed houses, in their gardens full of tropical See also:plants, are built along the curving See also:shore of Funchal See also:Bay, and on the See also:lower slopes of.an See also:amphitheatre of mountains, which See also:form a background 4000 ft. high. Numerous See also:country houses (quintas), with terraced gardens, vineyards and See also:FUNCTION 301 See also:sugar-See also:cane plantations occupy the surrounding heights. Three See also:mountain streams See also:traverse the city through deep channels, which in summer are dry, owing to the diversion of the See also:water for See also:irrigation. A small fort, on an isolated See also:rock off shore, See also:guards the entrance to the bay, and a larger and more powerfully armed fort crowns an See also:eminence inland. The See also:chief buildings include the See also:cathedral, See also:Anglican and Presbyterian churches, hospitals, See also:opera-See also:house, museum and See also:casino. There are small public gardens and a meteorological See also:observatory. In the steep and narrow streets, which are lighted by See also:electricity, wheeled See also:traffic is impossible; sledges See also:drawn by oxen, and other See also:primitive conveyances are used instead (see MADEIRA).

In See also:

winter the See also:fine See also:climate and scenery attract numerous invalids and other visitors, for whose See also:accommodation there are See also:good hotels; many foreigners engaged in the See also:coal and See also:wine trades also reside here permanently. The See also:majority of these belong to the See also:British community, which was first established here in the 18th See also:century. Funchal is the headquarters of Madeiran See also:industry and See also:commerce (see MADEIRA). It has no docks and no facilities for landing passengers or goods; vessels are obliged to See also:anchor in the roadstead, which, however, is sheltered from every See also:wind except the south. Funchal is connected by See also:cable with Carcavellos (for Lisbon), Porthcurnow (for See also:Falmouth, See also:England) and St See also:Vincent in the Cape Verde Islands (for See also:Pernambuco, See also:Brazil).

End of Article: FUNCHAL

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
FUMITORY 		[next]
FUNCTION

Site © 2006 - Net Industries