Santa Cruz (; "Holy Cross") is a municipality, a parish and a city in the eastern part of the island of
Madeira
)
, anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira")
, song_type = Regional anthem
, image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg
, map_alt=Location of Madeira
, map_caption=Location of Madeira
, subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
. It is the second most populous municipality, behind
Funchal
Funchal () is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it the sixth largest city in Portugal. Because of ...
. The population in 2011 was 43,005, in an area of 81.50 km².
History
''"...passing a turn in the land, they entered a cover in the beach, in which they saw a deliteful valley covered in the trees in order, where they found on land a few older fallen columns, from whom the captain ordered the construction a cross, which they raised to the heights of a tree, giving the place the name of Santa Cruz, where later that founded the noble village."''
[Gaspar Frutuoso, 1817]
To commemorate the construction of this cross, a second cross was raised, of marble, but was later destroyed, around 1889.
Geography
It is located southeast of
Santana
Santana may refer to:
Transportation
* Volkswagen Santana, an automobile
* Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles
* Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer
Boats
* Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
, southwest of
Machico
Machico () is a municipality, parish and city in the southeast part of the island of Madeira, in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The easternmost municipality on the island, it is also the third-most populous area with a population of 21,828 in ...
and northeast of the regional capital (
Funchal
Funchal () is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it the sixth largest city in Portugal. Because of ...
); it is linked by an expressway to Funchal and Machico, as well as an ancillary road linking it to
Santana
Santana may refer to:
Transportation
* Volkswagen Santana, an automobile
* Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles
* Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer
Boats
* Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
.
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
from Funchal extends along Santa Cruz's western frontier, while the eastern part of municipality is the base for Madeira's
international airport
An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...
.
Five parishes comprise the municipality of Santa Cruz:
*
Camacha
Camacha () is a parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz, on the southeastern part of Madeira Island. It is situated in the mountainous interior of the island, 3 km north of Caniço, 7 km northeast of Funchal
Funchal () is the larg ...
*
Caniço (city)
*
Gaula
* Santa Cruz (city) (includes the offshore
Desertas Islands
The Desertas Islands ( pt, Ilhas Desertas, , "Deserted Islands") are a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the larger Portuguese Madeira Archipelago.
The archipelago is located off the coast of Morocco. Deserta Grande Island is loc ...
)
*
Santo António da Serra
Economy
Agriculture and fishing are still considered the primary industries in this region, although widespread expansion of tourism in the south, and the development of the international airport has increased the number of commercial and tourist-related activities (primarily in the city of Santa Cruz).
Notable people
*
Joseph Costa (1909 in Caniço – 1998) a Portuguese American aviator
* Bishop
José Alfredo Caires de Nobrega Bishop José Alfredo Caires de Nobrega (born 12 April 1951 in Caniço (Santa Cruz)) is the bishop of the Diocese of Mananjary in Mananjary, Madagascar. He was ordained priest on 28 December 1980 by the Priests of the Sacred Heart congregation
A co ...
(born 1951 in Caniço) the bishop of the
Diocese of Mananjary
The Diocese of Mananjary is a Roman Catholic Diocese under the Archdiocese of Fianarantsoa in Madagascar. It is based in the town of Mananjary and was erected on 9 April 1968. It performs the Latin Rite. The Diocese covers approximately 14,270  ...
in Mananjary, Madagascar
*
José Manuel Coelho
José Manuel da Mata Vieira Coelho (born 22 July 1952, in Gaula, Santa Cruz) is a Portuguese politician. He was a member of the Portuguese Communist Party until 1999, and still calls himself a communist "who evolved". He was a substitute dep ...
(born 1952 in Gaula) a Portuguese politician.
*
João Rodrigues (born 1971 in Santa Cruz) a windsurfer; competed in every Summer Olympic Games from 1992 to 2016
*
Vânia Jesus
Vânia Jesus (born 1979) is a Portuguese politician. A member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), she represented the Autonomous Region of Madeira in the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal between 2009 and 2011.
Early life
Vânia Andrea d ...
(born 1979 in Santa Cruz) a Portuguese politician.
References
;Notes
;Sources
*Fructuoso, Gaspar, ''Saudades da Terra'' (Vol.2), originally published 1873, various reprints since 1966, Instituto Cultural de Ponta Delgada, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel. .
External links
Official site
{{authority control
Cities in Portugal
Madeira Island
Municipalities of Madeira
People from Santa Cruz, Madeira