Two <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Topography" title="Category:Topography">topographic</a> features characterize this part of the Madeiran landscape: steep <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mountain" class="mw-redirect" title="Mountain">mountains</a> and deep ravines. Both landforms are evident in this image. Deep ravines define the path <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Water" title="Water">water</a> routinely takes off the island. In <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Shadow" title="Shadow">shadow</a> in the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Morning" title="Category:Morning">morning</a> <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sunlight" title="Category:Sunlight">sunlight</a>, the ravines are like dark wrinkles radiating from the centre of the island in this image. The cities, the colour of <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Terracotta" title="Category:Terracotta">terracotta</a> <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Roof_tiles" title="Category:Roof tiles">roof tiles</a>, are built mostly around the ravines in this region with two notable exceptions. The small town of <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ribeira_Brava" title="Category:Ribeira Brava">Ribeira Brava</a> sits at the mouth of a large ravine that extends from the heart of the island. The second exception is <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Funchal" title="Category:Funchal">Funchal</a>, the island’s capital. Three rivers run from the mountains into the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Cities" title="Category:Cities">city</a>. The deep ravines that bring two of the rivers into the city are evident in the image. The rivers are lined with some of the city’s primary <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Road" title="Road">roads</a>, and they come together in a “<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/V" title="V">v</a>” near the harbour.
Jesse Allen
2007-03-10
<p>[<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=42787">http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=42787</a> NASA Earth Observatory - 
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Southern Madeira]