João Gonçalves Zarco was a Portuguese explorer who established settlements and recognition of the Madeira Islands, and was appointed first captain of Funchal by Henry the Navigator.
A statue of Zarco stands on the Avenida Arriaga, one of the main streets in the Madeiran capital of Funchal.
Madeira, officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira, is one of two autonomous regions of Portugal, the other being the Azores. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in a region known as Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north of the Canary Islands and 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Kingdom of Morocco. Madeira is geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, although it is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from original Portuguese settlers. Its population was 251,060 in 2021. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, which is located on the main island's south coast.
The fourth and final sheet of the four-sheet Corbitis Atlas (1384-1410)
Statue of João Gonçalves Zarco
Cathedral of Funchal with its tower of 15th-century Gothic style in the background
Sights from Bica da Cana showing Madeira's high orography
