Savage Islands

Savage Islands (Ilhas Selvagens)
Island (Ilha)
A reef along the coast of Selvagem Pequena, the smaller of the main islands
Name origin: selvagem, Portuguese for savage
Country	Portugal
Autonomous Region	Madeira
Location	Tore-Madeira Ridge, African Tectonic Plate, Atlantic Ocean
Municipalities	Funchal
Civil Parishes	Sé
Highest point	Pico da Atalaia
- location	Selvagem Grande, Funchal, Madeira
- elevation	163 m (535 ft)
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Biomes	Temperate, Mediterranean
Geology	Alkali basalt, Tephra, Trachyte, Trachybasalt
Orogeny	Volcanism
Period	Holocene
Location of the Savage Islands in the archipelago of Madeira
Statistics: Instituto Nacional de Estatística
Geographic detail from CAOP (2010) produced by Instituto Geográfico Português (IGP)

The Savage Islands or Selvagens Islands (Portuguese: Ilhas Selvagens IPA: [ˈiʎɐʃ sɛɫˈvaʒɐ̃jʃ]) are a small Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic, 280 kilometres (175 mi) south of Madeira, and 165 kilometres (105 mi) north of the Canary Islands.

The archipelago comprises two major islands and several islets of varying sizes, in two areas: Selvagem Grande and Selvagem Pequena. The archipelago is administered by the Portuguese municipality of Funchal, belongs to the Madeiran civil parish of Sé, and is the southernmost point of Portugal.

It was designated a natural reserve in 1971, recognizing its role as a very important nesting point for several species of birds. Since then, the decreasing bird populations (namely Cory's shearwater) and nearby waters have been more closely protected by the Portuguese government. Given its status, remoteness and few fresh water sources, it is inhabited only by reserve staff, scientists conducting research on its wildlife, a Portuguese family and a small Portuguese Navy detachment. In May 2016, a National Geographic Society scientific expedition prompted the extension of the marine reserve.

Diogo Gomes de Sintra discovered the islands by chance in 1438. Although the Canary Islands had been inhabited by the Guanches, humans are not known to ever have set foot on the Madeira archipelago or the Savage Islands before the Portuguese discoveries and expansion. Consequently, this island group presented itself to Portuguese navigators uninhabited.