MADEIRA GOLF COURSES

Play Golf at the best climate on the most southern island of Portugal

Madeira (and Selvagens too) is an archipelago with volcanic origins from an Hot Spot, so is not geographically part of an specific continent , but Madeira belongs and has always belonged ethnically, culturally, economically and politically to Europe for 600 years. Madeira is part of Portugal, so is part of the European Union, as an Outermost Region.

Its most famous sea cliff, the Cabo Girão, is the world's second highest. The highest point on the island is Pico Ruivo, at 1,862 meters (6,107 ft).

In the south, there is very little left of the indigenous laurisilva subtropical rainforest which once covered the whole island (the original settlers set fire to the island to clear the land for farming) and gave it the name it now bears (Madeira means "wood" in Portuguese). However, in the north, the valleys contain native trees of fine growth. These laurisilva forests, notably the forests on the northern slopes of Madeira Island, are designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

A long, narrow, and comparatively low rocky promontory forms the eastern extremity of the island, on which lies a tract of calcareous sand known as the Fossil Bed. It contains land shells and numerous bodies resembling the roots of trees, probably produced by infiltration.

Madeira Island's geographical position and mountainous landscape result in a very pleasant climate which varies between the north side, south side, and smaller islands groups like Porto Santo and Savages. The mean annual temperature on the coastline can reach more than 20 °C in the south. With its mild humidity, the weather of the island is classified as oceanic subtropical and with its low rain level, desertic on the Savages. Influenced by the Gulf Stream, sea water temperature varies between 26 °C during the summer and 17 °C in the winter.

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It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Madeira"