The islands that constitute the archipelago.
Madeira Archipelago
This archipelago of vulcanic origin is made of four islands: Madeira, Porto Santo, Desertas and Selvagens. The first two are inhabited, while the other two are considered nature reserves. About 260 thousand people live in the archipelago, most of them in Funchal, the regional capital. The highest point in the archipelago is Pico Ruivo, 1862 m, located in Madeira Island.
Selvagens Islands
Selvagens Islands are part of the larger Madeira Archipelago that comprises two groups: North East and South West. The first is composed by Selvagem Grande and three islets: Palheiro da Terra, Palheiro do Mar and Sinho. On the second group, Selvagem Pequena and Ilhéu de Fora can be found, along with other islets. These are located 250 km away from the Archipelago's Capital and only 165 km away from the Spanish Canay Islands. There are two permanent inhabitants in Selvagem Grande, members of Madeira Natural Park as this small Archipelago is considered Natural Reserve since 1971.
Desertas Islands
Desertas Islands are a small Archipelago formed by three islands, Ilhéu Chão, Deserta Grande and Bugio, located South West from Madeira. The Madeiran parish of Santa Cruz is responsible for managing these islands that have been considered Natural Reserve in 1995 and are home to one of Madeira's most iconic animals: the Monk Seal.
