Image:3524-lg.png The Desertas as seen from Maderia island. The Desert Islands (Portuguese: Ilhas Desertas), literally: 'the deserted ones' stand to the south east of the main island of Madeira, the whole chain located roughly between the Azores and the Canary Islands. Though only 20 nautical miles distant from the main island of Madeira, the geology of the Ilhas Desertas is starkly different. The high, long, and rocky islands of the group are barren of soil, and the only wildlife consists of about sixteen bird species, eight being seagoing, and a scarce population of non native goats, rabbits, and rodents, brought from Portugal by the mariners who first touched the rocky shores. Native species of tarantula, and reptillians, also exist in the fragile and arid ecosystem. A tiny colony of monk seals inhabit the beaches, and since 1990 the islands have been a nature reserve for their protection. Although in 1998 the colony numbered only eight, by today, the population numbers roughly twenty. The only human presence comes in the form of geologists, occasional boaters, and the few research stations on the islands. For other uses of the word, see Madeira (disambiguation) Madeira Islands location. ...
Location Motto of the autonomous region: Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos (Portuguese: Rather die free than peacefully subjected) Official language Portuguese Capitals Ponta Delgada (Presidency of the autonomous government), Angra do HeroÃsmo (Supreme Court), Horta (Legislative Assembly) Other towns Praia da Vitória, Ribeira Grande Area 2333...
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Image:Untitled2.bmp Isle de Bugio, second largest of the Desertas, note the high, and barren shape of the island. The main islands of the Ilhas Desertas, are Grande Deserta, seen in the picture below, and Isla de Bugio, which is south of Grande Deserta, and obscured by clouds in the photo. Image:Madeira,sat (nasa) e.jpg the Maderia group observed from space, note this picture is facing south, and the Desertas can be seen on the upper left, standing out because of their elongated shape.
External links
- Photos of the Desertas Islands - Ilhas Desertas
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