Santana, Madeira Islands
Geography
Santana includes six parishes, within a rugged mountainous environment, most occupying river-valleys:
- Arco de São Jorge
- Faial
- Ilha
- Santana - the parish (and town) has a population of 3,275 (in 2011), in an area of 19.01 km
- São Jorge
- São Roque do Faial
Santana parish has the largest number residents, while Arco de São Jorge is both the smallest, physically, and has the lowest number of residents, while Faial is the largest parish.
Santana is known for the traditional homes constructed with sloping triangular rooftops, and protected with straw. These were mainly rural homes, used by local farmers, during the settlement of the island, with white-painted walls, red doors and windows with blue trim. Most of the surviving buildings are tourist attractions, and maintained (for example, the straw roofs are replaced every four to five years).
Economy
A tourist-themed park was constructed to exhibit examples of the island's early history and culture; the Madeira Theme Park is an ample area, on 7 acres (28,000 m) of land, where visitors discover the cultures of Madeira and Porto Santo. This includes exhibits on the island's history, artifacts used in daily life and cultural presentations, in a scenic environment.
Notable citizens
- Teodósio de Gouveia (1889 in São Jorge - 1962 in Lourenço Marques) - Roman Catholic Cardinal for Lourenço Marques, and first resident Cardinal in Africa.
References
- ^ Instituto Nacional de Estatística
- ^ Eurostat
- ^ Santana and Arco de São Jorge are also located in the higher altitudes in the municipality.