The archipelago of Madeira is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 978 km southwest of Lisbon and about 700 km of the coast of Africa, nearly at the same latitude as Casablanca. Volcanic in it's origin, the Madeira archipelago is formed by the islands of Madeira (740,7 km²), Porto Santo (42,5 km²) e and by the uninhabited Desertas (14,2 km²) and Selvagens (3,6 km²). Volcanic in it's origin, the Madeira archipelago is formed by the islands of Madeira (740,7 km²), Porto Santo (42,5 km²) e and by the uninhabited Desertas (14,2 km²) and Selvagens (3,6 km²).



Madeira Island has a rough orography and it's higest peaks are Pico Ruivo (1862 m), Pico das Torres (1851 m) e o Pico do Arieiro (1818 m). It's northern coast is dominated by high cliffs and on the western part of the island there is a plateau reagion called Paúl da Serra. Due to the exposure to prevaling winds as well as it's rough relief, the island is host to a variety of micro climates, that combined with the exoticism of the vegetation, makes for a an important attraction factor for turism, the region's main economic activity. Precipitation is higher in the northern coast and there are no big temperature variations troughout the year, a mild climate withstanding.



The island of Porto Santo has a completely different geomorfological build from that of the island of Madeira. It is very plane, with  scarce vegetation and poor soils that are unfit for agriculture. The is a beach of golden, fine grained sand. It measures about 9 km and it's organic (limestone) in origin, unlike, the beaches on the mainland that are of siliceous nature (inorganic). It is a turism resort in itself, ever more explored regionally, nacionally and internacionally.The island presents some peaks, especially on it's northern side, Pico do Facho (517 m) being it's highest.



Madeira's geophysical features, it's climate, as well as it's geografical position allow for the existance of a large number of habitats, species and associated types of vegetation. There are in Madeira, 18 described classes of vegetation, wich include 39 associations and communities. On the island there are several vegetation storeys, stratified by altitude and linked to the climate variation.



Up to 200 m altitude, there are species like  the Goivo da Rocha (Mathiola maderensis), the Cardo (Cynara Cardunculus), the Perpétua Branca (Helichrysum melaleucum), the Perpétua de São Lourenço (Helichrysum devium), the Andríala (Andryala crithmifolia), the Bucho da Rocha (Maytenus dryandri) and the Dragoeiro (Dracaena draco).



On the second climatic storey, wich can reach up to 600 m, a cooler and more humid environment can be found and transition forest like sepecies abound, such as the Barbusano (Apollonias barbujana), the  Faia das Ilhas (Myrica faya), the Seixeiro (Salix canariensis) and the Azevinho (Ilex canariensis).



Between about 600 and 1300 m altitude, it is possible to find considerably large patches of Laurissilva, in good preservation state. The Laurissilva forrest is frequently covered in mists produced by masses of humid air, that allow for the existance of species that are unique in all the world, such as the Loureiro (Laurus azorica), o Vinhático (Persea indica), o Til (Ocotea foetens), o Folhado (Clethra arbórea), the Teixo (Taxus baccata), the Gerânio (Geranium palmatum), the Ranúnculo (Ranunculus cortusifolius) and the Orquídia da Serra (Dactylorhyza foliosa).



On the highest regions of the island, where the thin mountain air and the low temperatures rule, the undergrowth is prevalent, with patches of several types of heather, moss, lichen, the Ensaiões (Aeonium glandulosum), the Alecrim da Serra (Thymus caespititius), the Arméria (Armeria maderensis), the  Violeta Amarela (Viola paradoxa) and the Orchis scopulorum, a very rare orchid.