Canhas is a civil parish in the municipality of Ponta do Sol in the Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 archipelago of Madeira

Madeira

Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...

. Extending into the interior from the coast, the parish of 16.66 km² is nestled between the Calheta (in the west), Câmara de Lobos

Câmara de Lobos

Câmara de Lobos -History:The location of the modern town is believed to be the original landing point for the Portuguese discoverer João Gonçalves Zarco, who is credited with the discovery of the Madeira Islands...

 (to the east) and São Vicente has a population of 3214 (its density is 192 inhabitants per kilometre square).

Geography

Two primary roadways bisect the parish, including the Regional 222 access which connects the parish to the municipal seat and the neighbouring municipality of Calheta.

Canhas has a school, a lyceum, a gymnasium, supermarkets and minimarkets, a church and a square .

Economy

A once essentially agricultural parish, Canhas has gradually been converted into an important economic centre, while retaining its rural feel. Even though agriculture is still a prime industry, civil construction and related industries have conquered a prominent position in the parish.