Santana, Madeira

Santana
Municipality (Concelho)
The village of Arco de São Jorge in an amphitheatre-shapped valley along the northern coast of Santana municipality
Flag
Coat of arms
Official name: Concelho da Calheta da Madeira
Country  Portugal
Autonomous Region  Madeira
Island Madeira
Municipality Santana
Civil Parishes Arco de São Jorge, Faial, Ilha, Santana, São Jorge, São Roque do Faial
Center Santana
 - elevation 509 m (1,670 ft)
 - coordinates
Highest point Pico Ruivo
 - location Santana, Madeira
 - elevation 1,862 m (6,109 ft)
 - coordinates
Lowest point Sea level
 - location Atlantic Ocean
 - elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Area 93.1 km2 (36 sq mi)
Population 8,804 (2001)
Density 94.56 / km2 (245 / sq mi)
Settlement 25 May 1835
 - City 6 July 2000
LAU Concelho/Câmara Municipal
 - location Sítio do Serrado, Santana, Madeira
President Carlos de Sousa Pereira
Timezone WET (UTC0)
 - summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1)
ISO 3166-2 code PT-
Postal Zone 9230-116 Santana
Area Code & Prefix (+351) 291 XXX-XXXX
Demonym Madeirense; Santanense
Patron Saint Santa Ana
Municipal Address Sítio do Serrado
9230-116 Santana
Municipal Holidays 24 June
Administrative location of Santana in the archipelago of Madeira
Wikimedia Commons: Santana (Madeira)
Website: http://cm-santana.com

Santana (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɐ̃ˈtɐnɐ]; from Portuguese Santa Ana, meaning Saint Anne) is a municipality along the northern coast of the archipelago of Madeira

Contents

Geography

Human geography

Santana includes six parishes, within a rugged mountainous environment, most occupying river-valleys:

Santana parish has the largest number residents, while Arco de São Jorge is both the smallest, physically, and has the least number of residents,[1] 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 settlment of the island, with white-paintd walls, red doors and windows with blue trim. Most of the surviving buildings are tourist attractions, and maintained (for example, the straw roofs are replace every four to five years).

Santana has a few schools, one secondary school, a gymnasium, banks, a post office, a small port, beaches and squares or plazas (praças).

Economy

The main sources of industry are agriculture and tourism, while small commercial businesses are located centrally in the parish of Santana. 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 m2) of land, where visitors re-discover the cultures of Madeira and Porto Santo. This includes exhibits on the island's history, artefacts used in daily life and cultural presentations, in a scenic environment.

Notable citizens

References

  1. ^ Santana and Arco de São Jorge are also located in the higher atltitudes in the municipality.