Madeira

Madeira,

island: see Madeira Islands.

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Madeira

(mədā`rə), river, c.2,100 mi (3,380 km) long, formed by the junction of the Beni and Mamoré rivers on the Bolivia-Brazil border. It flows north along the border for c.60 mi (100 km), then northeast in a winding course through the Rondônia and Amazonas sections of NW Brazil into the Amazon River. At its mouth is Ilha Tupinambaranas, an extensive marshy region formed by the Madeira's distributaries. The river receives numerous tributaries from the southeast and is navigable by ocean vessels to Pôrto Velho in Rondônia; the falls and rapids above the city are now submerged by the Santo Antonio dam and hydroelectric project. The former Madeira-Mamoré RR ran 227 mi (365 km) around the unnavigable section to Guajará-Mirim on the Mamoré River. A second Brazilian hydroelectric project, associated with the Jirau dam, is c.60 mi (100 km) upstream from the Santo Antonio dam.

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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Madeira

 

a river in Bolivia and Brazil, the largest right tributary of the Amazon. The Madeira River is formed by the confluence of the Mamore and Beni rivers, rising in the Andes. The river is 3,230 km long from the upper reaches of the Mamore and drains an area of 1,158,000 sq km. The upper reaches of the river skirt the Brazilian Highlands forming a number of rapids and falls; from Porto Velho it flows through the Amazon lowland. In its lower reaches a right branch flows into the Amazon, and together with the Amazon and the Madeira, forms Tupinambaranas Island, with an area of about 14,500 sq km. High water usually occurs in summer (October to May), the rainy season. The discharge in the lower reaches is 4,200 cu m per sec at low water and 39,000 cu m per sec at high water. The water level may fluctuate 12 m or more. The river is navigable as far as Porto Velho, 1,060 km upstream. Porto Velho, Humaita, and Manicore are the principal cities along the river.

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Madeira

 

a strong grape wine with an alcohol content of 18-20 percent by volume and a sugar content of 4 to 9 percent, having a distinctive flavor and bouquet. The wine is aged in barrels in artificially heated rooms or in glass rooms heated by the sun. Ordinary Madeiras are stored at 60°-65°C for three months, medium-quality Madeiras are kept at 50°-55°C for four to six months, and high-quality Madeiras are stored at 40°-50°C for not less than six months. The best Madeiras are aged for another two years. After it has been treated by heat, the wine is blended. The wine derives its name from the island of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean, where it was first produced. In the USSR the best Madeira is produced in the Armenian SSR and on the Southern Crimean Shore.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

St. Sylvester's Day

December 31

St. Sylvester (d. 335) was pope in the year 325, when Emperor Constantine declared that the pagan religion of Rome was abolished and that Christianity would henceforth be the official religion of the Empire. Although it is unclear exactly what role, if any, St. Sylvester played in this important event, he is always given at least some of the credit for stamping out paganism.
Because St. Sylvester's Day is also New Year's Eve, it is celebrated in Switzerland by lighting bonfires in the mountains and ringing church bells to signal the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new. It is a day for rising early, and the last to get out of bed or to reach school are greeted with shouts of "Sylvester!" In some Swiss villages, grain is threshed on specially constructed platforms to ensure a plentiful harvest in the coming year ( see also Old Silvester).
St. Sylvester's Eve is celebrated in Austria, Hungary, and Germany. It is not uncommon in restaurants and cafes for the owner to set a pig loose at midnight. Everyone tries to touch the pig because it is considered a symbol of good luck. In private homes, a marzipan pig may be hung from the ceiling and touched at midnight.

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 868
BkFest-1937, pp. 36, 49, 141, 176, 323, 347
BkHolWrld-1986, Jan 13
DaysCustFaith-1957, p. 325
DictDays-1988, pp. 23, 36, 125
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 690
FestWestEur-1958, pp. 21, 84, 242
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 780
OxYear-1999, p. 540
SaintFestCh-1904, p. 48

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St. Sylvester's Day (Madeira)

December 31

In many European countries, December 31, in addition to New Year's Eve, is also the observance of St. Sylvester's Day, the feast day of Pope Sylvester (314-335). In Madeira, a group of eight Portuguese islands off the northwest coast of Africa, one of the world's most impressive fireworks displays takes place on the evening of this day, which is known as the Great Festival of St. Sylvester. The noise of the fireworks resounds over the Bay of Funchal, the islands' capital, where oceanliners make a special stop so that passengers can watch the celebrations.

CONTACTS:
Portuguese National Tourist Office
590 Fifth Ave., 4th Fl.
New York, NY 10036
800-767-8842 or 212-354-4403; fax: 212-764-6137
www.visitportugal.com

SOURCES:
FestEur-1961, p. 135

Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, Fourth Edition. © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc.

Madeira

1. a group of volcanic islands in the N Atlantic, west of Morocco: since 1976 an autonomous region of Portugal; consists of the chief island, Madeira, Porto Santo, and the uninhabited Deserta and Selvagen Islands. Capital: Funchal. Pop.: 245 012 (2001). Area: 797 sq. km (311 sq. miles)

2. a river in W Brazil, flowing northeast to the Amazon below Manaus. Length: 3241 km (2013 miles)

3. a rich strong fortified white wine made on Madeira

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005