Candidatura Reserva da Biosfera - Santana Madeira Biosfera

In ethnic terms, no data of the genealogy of the people of Santana exists. The
destruction of the document archive of the county by a fire hampers the determination of
family and ethnic origins of its inhabitants. However, considering the influences that
other people had in the genetic heritage of Madeira, it is possible to extrapolate it to the
municipality of Santana.
From Portugal, the origins are varied, from north to south and also from the Azores,
the latter responsible for the introduction of maize in the region. The Portuguese
overseas empire, brought upon to Madeira, slaves from different places, but mainly from
the Cape Verde archipelago, North Africa, mainly from Safim, currently located in
Morocco and also from Portuguese India.
The importance that the island of Madeira acquired in the sixteenth, seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries as a commercial port by exporting products and valuable raw
materials like sugar, wine, native timber and grain, caused the influx of many immigrants
from other parts of Europe, attracted by business opportunities that existed then in the
island. Of people who migrated to the Island, the Flemish, British, Germans, Hungarians
and Genovese are highlighted. Additionally, several generations of descendants of other
European ethnic groups also came to Madeira as is the case of French Bettencourt, the
Berenguer of Catalan origin and Cro descendants of Irish Crawford’s, which was derived
by shortening the name phonetically.
Over generations, crossings occurred between the various ethnicities, creating a
genetic complex. However, given that a large percentage of the population was of
Portuguese origin, this will certainly be the largest contributor to the genetic heritage of
the region.
10.5. NAME OF NEAREST MAJOR TOWN
Santana, head of the county is also the only town. The nearest town to the
Municipality of Santana is Machico located in the municipality of Machico.
58 Application of Santana, Madeira to Biosphere Reserve – UNESCO - MAB