 | |
| Continent | Asia |
|---|---|
| Region | Southeast Asia |
| Coordinates | 13°00'N 122°00'E |
| Area | Ranked 72nd |
| • Total | 300,000[1][2][3] km2 (120,000 sq mi) |
| • Land | 99.38% |
| • Water | 0.62% |
| Coastline | 36,289 km (22,549 mi) |
| Borders | None |
| Highest point | Mount Apo 2,954 meters (9,692 ft)[4][5] |
| Lowest point | Emden Deep 10,540 meters (34,580 ft) (sea level) |
| Longest river | Cagayan River |
| Largest lake | Laguna de Bay |
| Exclusive economic zone | 2,263,816 km2 (874,064 sq mi) |
ThePhilippines is anarchipelago that comprises 7,641 islands,[8] and with a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 sq mi), it is the world's fifth largestisland country.[2][3][9] The eleven largest islands contain 95% of the total land area. The largest of these islands isLuzon at about 105,000 square kilometers (40,541 sq mi). The next largest island isMindanao at about 95,000 square kilometers (36,680 sq mi). The archipelago is around 800 kilometers (500 mi) from the Asian mainland and is located betweenTaiwan andBorneo.
The Philippine archipelago is divided into threeIsland groups:Luzon, theVisayas, andMindanao. The Luzon islands include Luzon itself,Palawan,Mindoro,Marinduque,Masbate,Romblon,Catanduanes,Batanes, andPolillo. The Visayas is a group of islands in the central Philippines, the largest of which are:Panay,Negros,Cebu,Bohol,Leyte,Samar,Siquijor,Biliran, andGuimaras. The Mindanao islands include Mindanao itself,Dinagat,Siargao,Camiguin,Samal, plus theSulu Archipelago, composed primarily ofBasilan,Sulu, andTawi-Tawi.
The Philippines lies between 4°23' and 21° North (N) latitude and between 116° and 127° East (E) longitude.
The Philippine archipelago lies inSoutheast Asia, and numbers some 7,641 islands.[7][10] The Philippines occupies an area that stretches for 1,850 kilometers (1,150 mi) from about the fifth to the twentieth parallels north latitude. The total land area is 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 sq mi),[1][11][12][2][3] with cadastral survey data suggesting it may be larger.[13] This makes it the fifth largestisland country in the world.[9] Only approximately 1,000 of its islands are populated, and fewer than one-half of these are larger than 2.5 square kilometers (1 sq mi). Eleven islands make up 95 percent of the Philippine landmass, and two of these — Luzon and Mindanao — measure 105,000 square kilometers (40,541 sq mi) and 95,000 square kilometers (36,680 sq mi), respectively. They, together with the cluster of islands in Visayas in between them, represent the three principal regions of the archipelago that are identified by the three stars on thePhilippine flag. The Philippines is broken up into many islands by thesea. This gives it the fifthlongest coastline of 36,289 kilometers (22,549 mi) in the world.[14][15] TheExclusive economic zone of the Philippines covers 2,263,816 km2 (874,064 sq mi), 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its shores.[16] It is located between 116° 40', and 126° 34' E longitude and 4° 40' and 21° 10' N latitude and is bordered by thePhilippine Sea[17][better source needed] to the east, theSouth China Sea[18] to the west, and theCelebes Sea to the south.[19] The island ofBorneo is located a few hundred kilometers southwest[20] and Taiwan is located directly to the north. TheMoluccas andSulawesi are located to the south-southwest andPalau is located to the east of the islands.[21][better source needed]
Off the coast of eastern Mindanao is thePhilippine Trench, which descends to a depth of 10,430 meters (34,220 ft). The Philippines is part of a western Pacific arc system characterized by active volcanoes. Among the most notable peaks areMount Mayon nearLegazpi City,Taal Volcano south ofManila, andMount Apo in Mindanao. All of the Philippine islands are prone to earthquakes. The northern Luzon highlands, or Cordillera Central, rise to between 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) and 2,750 meters (9,020 ft), and, together with theSierra Madre in the northeastern portion of Luzon and the mountains of Mindanao, boast rain forests that provide refuge for numerous upland tribal groups. The rain forests also offer prime habitat for more than 500 species of birds, including thePhilippine eagle (or monkey-eating eagle), some 1,100 species oforchids, and some 8,500 species of flowering plants.
The longest river is theCagayan River in northernLuzon, measuring about 520 kilometers (320 mi).[22]Manila Bay,[23] upon the shore of which the capital city of Manila lies, is connected toLaguna de Bay,[24] the largest lake in the Philippines, by thePasig River.[25]Subic Bay,[26]Davao Gulf,[27] and theMoro Gulf are other important bays.[28] TheSan Juanico Strait separates the islands ofSamar andLeyte but it is traversed by theSan Juanico Bridge.[29] ThePuerto Princesa Subterranean River, which runs 8.2 kilometers (5.1 mi) underground through akarst landscape before reaching the ocean, is aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[30]
Other extensive river systems are thePulangi River, which flows into theMindanao River (Rio Grande de Mindanao); theAgusan, in Mindanao which flows north into theMindanao Sea; and thePampanga, which flows south from east Central Luzon intoManila Bay. Several rivers have been harnessed for hydroelectric power.
A globalremote sensing analysis suggested in 2018 that there were 2,126 km2 (821 sq mi) of tidal flats in the Philippines and is therefore ranked as the 15th country in terms of how much tidal flat occurs there.[31]
To protect the country's biological resources, the government has taken a first step of preparing aBiodiversity Action Plan to address conservation of threatenedspecies.
Most of the islands used to be covered bytropical rainforests. However,illegal logging has reduced forest cover to less than 10% of the total land area.
ThePhilippine Archipelago is geologically part of thePhilippine Mobile Belt located between thePhilippine Sea Plate, the South China Sea Basin of theEurasian Plate, and theSunda Plate. ThePhilippine Trench (also called the Mindanao Trench) is asubmarine trench 1,320 kilometers (820 mi) in length found directly east of the Philippine Mobile Belt and is the result of a collision of tectonic plates. The Philippine Sea Plate issubducting under the Philippine Mobile Belt at the rate of about 16 centimeters (6.3 in) per year. ThePhilippine Fault System consists of a series of seismicfaults that produce severalearthquakes per year, most of which are not felt.[citation needed] The Galathea Depth in thePhilippine Trench is the deepest point in the country and thethird deepest in the world. The trench is located in the Philippine Sea.[32][better source needed]
The islands are composed of volcanic, coral, principal rock formations.[citation needed] Twelve main forest formations are classified, which are theMangrove forest, Beach forest, Freshwater swamp forest,Peat swamp forest,Molave forest (Forest overLimestone), Bonsai forest (Forest overUltramafic rocks), Tropical semi-evergreen rain forest, Tropical moistdeciduous forest,Dipterocarp forest (Tropical lowlandevergreen rainforest), Tropical lowermontane rain forest, Mossy forest (tropical upper montane rain forest), and Tropical sub-alpine forest.[33][34] The highest mountain isMount Apo. It measures up to 2,954 meters (9,692 ft) above sea level and is located on the island ofMindanao.[35] The second highest point can be found on Mindanao as well, atMount Dulang-dulang, a peak 2,941 meters (9,649 ft) above sea level.[36]
Situated on the western fringes of the PacificRing of Fire, the Philippines experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.[37] TheBenham Plateau to the east in the Philippine Sea is an undersea region active intectonicsubduction.[38][failed verification] Around 20earthquakes are registered daily, though most are too weak to be felt. The last major earthquake was the1990 Luzon earthquake.[39][failed verification] There aremany active volcanoes such as theMayon Volcano,Mount Pinatubo, andTaal Volcano.[40] The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 produced the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century.[41] The Philippines is the world's second-biggestgeothermal energy producer behind the United States, with 18% ofthe country's electricity needs being met by geothermal power.[42]
Mount Pinatubo is notorious for its destructiveVEI-6 eruption on June 15, 1991.Taal Volcano, one of theDecade Volcanoes, had aVEI-3.7 eruption on January 12, 2020.Mount Mayon is renowned for having an almost perfect cone, but has a violent history of 47 eruptions since 1616 and itsVEI-4 eruption on June 23, 1897, rained fire for seven days.
Significant mineral deposits exist as a result of the country's complex geologic structure and high level of seismic activity.[43][44] These deposites are considered highly valuable.[45] The country is thought to have the second-largest gold deposits after South Africa, along with a large amount of copper deposits.[46]Palladium, originally discovered in South America, was found to have the world's largest deposits in the Philippines too.[47]Romblon island is a source of high-quality marble.[48] Other minerals include chromite, nickel, and zinc. Despite this, a lack of law enforcement, poor management, opposition due to the presence of indigenous communities, and past instances of environmental damages and disasters, have resulted in these mineral resources remaining largely untapped.[46][49]
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TheBatanes andBabuyan Islands are situated on the northernmost extremity of the Philippines atLuzon Strait facing Taiwan. It contains the northernmost point of land, the islet of Y'Ami in the Batanes Islands, separated from Taiwan by theBashi Channel (c.80.4672 kilometers (50.0000 mi) wide).
This region stretches fromMairaira Point inPagudpud, Ilocos Norte in the north toCochinos Point inMariveles, Bataan in the south. The terrain ranges from coastal plains to rugged mountains bordered by theSouth China Sea in the west and theCordillera Central andZambales mountain ranges in the east. Western Luzon is known for its beaches, surf spots and historic towns.
Nestled between the Cordilleras in the west and theSierra Madre mountain ranges in the east is the Cagayan Valley, also the name ofthe administrative region which it covers. Through its center runs the country's longest river, theCagayan, flowing in a northward direction before emptying its waters in theLuzon Strait at the town ofAparri.
The Cordilleras andCaraballos, together with the Sierra Madre Range, form the main mountain system in Northern Luzon.
The Cordilleras consists of two, sometimes three, mountain ranges that are found in northwestern central Luzon. The first, calledCaraballo del Sur, forms the nucleus of the system and has its highest peaks in the border between the provinces ofAbra,Ilocos Norte andCagayan.Caraballo Occidentalles, is further divided into two ranges, the Cordillera Norte and Cordillera Central.[50] They line the central portions of theCordillera Administrative Region.
The Caraballos (Caraballo de Baler) start where the Sierra Madre and the Cordilleras meet. They are found south of Cagayan Valley, northeast of the Central Luzon Plains.
Lying in the eastern portion of Luzon is the longest mountain range in the Philippines, theSierra Madre, stretching fromQuezon province in the south toCagayan in the north. 80 percent of the mountain range istropical rainforest, which is diminishing from rampant illegal logging activity. The range serves as the eastern wall of Luzon Island that protects inhabitants fromtropical cyclones usually coming from the Pacific Ocean.
The largest plain of the nation is situated in theCentral Luzon region and produces most of the national rice supply, earning itself the nickname "Rice Bowl of the Philippines". The plains encompass the provinces ofBulacan,Nueva Ecija,Pampanga,Tarlac andPangasinan.
South of the Central Luzon plains lies the largest inland freshwater lake in Southeast Asia,Laguna de Bay. To the east of the lake is a plain that stretches westward toManila Bay. Large rivers from bays and mountain springs traverse the plain. In the northern part of the region, that is,Manila andRizal, most of the plain had been converted into cities and towns, and are thus industrialized. Lying east of the lake is the southern terminus of the Sierra Madre mountain range at northernQuezon province.
To the southwest of Laguna de Bay is the nation's third largest lake, theTaal, bordered to the north by theTagaytay Ridge, aridge stretching from southernCavite to northernBatangas provinces.
The Bondoc Peninsula is located in the southeastern part of Quezon Province.
Southeast of Laguna de Bay lies theBicol Peninsula, connected tomainland Luzon by theisthmus of Tayabas. The predominantly flat landscape features several solitary peaks, usuallyactive volcanoes, which includeIriga,Mayon andBulusan.
The peninsula has an irregularcoastline that features large bays and gulfs, which includeLamon Bay,San Miguel Bay,Lagonoy Gulf, andAlbay Gulf to the north, and theTayabas Bay,Ragay Gulf andSorsogon Bay to the south.
Mindoro's coastal plains are characterized by rice and corn fields, rivers, beaches, and extensive open space areas. Most of the population is concentrated on the northern and eastern coast of this island where the city ofCalapan andPuerto Galera are located.
The Mindoro mountain range begins withMount Halcon and is further divided into three. The northwest ends atCalavite Point and is a landmark for ships. The east originates fromLake Naujan and the west follows theMindoro Strait.
TheKalayaan Islands are located to the west ofPalawan.Kalayaan is a Filipino word meaning "freedom".
Panay is the third largest island in the Philippines, behind Mindanao and Luzon. Negros is home to the Canlaon Volcano, one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines. Cebu is a long and narrow island and is the 126th largest island in the world. Other islands nearby include:Guimaras to the south,Negros to the southeast,Bantayan Island and theRomblon island group to the north andBoracay nearby to the northeast.
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The eastern coast of Mindanao features a long mountain range, theEastern Pacific Cordillera, which stretches fromBilar Point at Surigao in the north toCape San Agustin at Davao in the south. Forming its northern portion are theDiwata Mountains (also spelledDiuata), separated from the south by lowpasses situated at the middle. To the east of the range are narrow strips of lowland that feature several inlets and bays, the most prominent of which include theLianga andBislig bays.[51][52]
To the west of the Pacific Cordillera lies an extensive lowland, theDavao-Agusan Trough. Its northern portion includes theAgusan Valley which forms the lowerriver basin of theAgusan River. The river flows in a northward direction and empties intoButuan Bay. Draining the southern portion of the lowland are several other rivers, which include theTagum, flowing southward toDavao Gulf.[51][52]
Situated west of the Davao-Agusan Trough is a complex series of mountain ranges called theCentral Mindanao Highlands (also known as theCentral Cordillera). From these mountains form theheadwaters of several rivers which include theRio Grande de Mindanao,Pulangi,Maridagao andTagoloan rivers. Several tall mountains, such asMount Apo, the country's highest are found within the range.[51]
The north-central portion of Mindanao is dominated by an extensive highland region, theBukidnon-Lanao Plateau, which includes theKitanglad andKalatungan mountain ranges. Within the plateau lies the country's second largest lake,Lake Lanao situated at an elevation of 2,296 feet, drained by theAgus River flowing northward to itsriver mouth atIligan Bay.[51]
South of the Bukidnon-Lanao Plateau lies a largedepression, the Cotabato Basin, which forms the lower river basin of the country's second largest river system, theRio Grande de Cagayan (also known as theMindanao River). Surrounded by three mountain ranges, the basin's only opening to the sea is to the northwest atIllana Bay, where the Mindanao River empties into the ocean.[51][52]
To the southeast of the main basin are two large valleys, theKoronadal andAllah valleys.[51]
Situated south and west of the Cotabato Basin are a moderately high mountain range, theTiruray Highlands, which block off the Basin from the southern coastline.[52] South of the highlands are narrow strips of coastlines.[51]
At the northwestern tip of Mindanao is the generally mountainousZamboanga Peninsula. The chain of mountain ranges in this region is calledZamboanga Cordilleras, with the highest elevation atMount Dapi, which is 2,617 meters (8,586 ft) high.
The southern coastline is irregular, featuring two smaller peninsulas, theSibuguey andBaganian, extending southward to theMoro Gulf.[51]
To the north of theDiwata Mountains at northeast Mindanao lieSiargao island and theDinagat group of islands.[51]
Southwest of the Zamboanga Peninsula is theSulu Archipelago, a chain of islands which comprise the smaller archipelago provinces ofBasilan,Sulu, andTawi-Tawi.[51]
The Philippines is divided into a hierarchy of local government units (LGUs) with the 81provinces and 38independent cities as the primary unit. Provinces are further subdivided intocomponent cities andmunicipalities, both of which consist ofbarangays, the smallest local government unit.
There are 17regions comprising the Philippines. Each region, with the exception of theNational Capital Region, is further subdivided into componentprovinces. TheNational Capital Region is divided into fourspecial districts.
Most government offices establish regional offices in a city to serve the constituent provinces. Such cities are designated as "regional centers". The regions themselves do not possess a separate local government, with the exception of theBangsamoro Autonomous Region.
Forming the regions, with the exception of theNational Capital, are the 82provinces. Each province has acapital city or municipality.
Of the 82 provinces of the Philippines, 16 arelandlocked, and 16 areisland provinces.
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The Philippines has a tropical maritime climate that is usually hot and humid. There are three seasons:tag-init ortag-araw, the hot dry season or summer from March to May;tag-ulan, the rainy season from June to November; andtag-lamig, the cool dry season from December to February. The southwestmonsoon (from May to October) is known as the Habagat, and the dry winds of the northeast monsoon (from November to April), the Amihan. Temperatures usually range from 21 °C (70 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F) although it can get cooler or hotter depending on the season. The coolest month is January; the warmest is May.[53] Some locations have no dry season (meaning, all months have an average rainfall of above 60 mm (2.4 in)) and certain higher-altitude areas can have asubtropical climate. Manila and most of the lowland areas are hot and dusty from March to May. Even at this time, however, temperatures rarely rise above 37 °C (98.6 °F). Mean annual sea-level temperatures rarely fall below 27 °C (80.6 °F). Annual rainfall measures as much as 5,000 millimeters (196.9 in) in the mountainous east coast section of the country, but less than 1,000 millimeters (39.4 in) in some of the sheltered valleys.
The average yearly temperature is around 26.6 °C (79.9 °F). In considering temperature, location in terms of latitude and longitude is not a significant factor. Whether in the extreme north, south, east, or west of the country, temperatures at sea level tend to be in the same range. Altitude usually has more of an impact. The average annual temperature ofBaguio at an elevation of 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) above sea level is 18.3 °C (64.9 °F), making it a popular destination during hot summers.[53] Annual rainfall measures as much as 5,000 millimeters (200 in) in the mountainous east coast section but less than 1,000 millimeters (39 in) in some of the sheltered valleys.[54] Monsoon rains, although hard and drenching, are not normally associated with high winds and waves. But the Philippines sit astride the typhoon belt, and it suffers an annual onslaught of dangerous storms from July through October. These are especially hazardous for northern and eastern Luzon and theBicol andEastern Visayas regions, but Manila gets devastated periodically as well.
In the last decade, the Philippines has been hit severely by natural disasters. In 2005 alone, Central Luzon was hit by both a drought, which sharply curtailed hydroelectric power, and by a typhoon that flooded practically all of low-lying Manila's streets. Still more damaging was the 1990 earthquake that devastated a wide area in Luzon, including Baguio and other northern areas. The city of Cebu and nearby areas were struck by a typhoon that killed more than a hundred people, sank vessels, destroyed part of the sugar crop, and cut off water and electricity for several days. The Philippines is prone to about six to nine storms which make landfall each year, on average. The 1991Mount Pinatubo eruption also damaged much of Central Luzon, thelahar burying towns and farmland, and the ashes affecting global temperatures.
Sitting astride thetyphoon belt, the islands experience 15-20 typhoons annually from July to October,[54] with around nineteen typhoons[55] entering the Philippine area of responsibility in a typical year and eight or nine making landfall.[56][57] Historically typhoons were sometimes referred to asbaguios.[58] The wettest recorded typhoon to hit the Philippines dropped 2,210 millimeters (87 in) in Baguio from July 14 to 18, 1911.[59] The Philippines is highlyexposed to climate change and is among the world's ten countries that are mostvulnerable to climate change risks.[60]
Building construction is undertaken with natural disasters in mind. Most rural housing has consisted of nipa huts that are easily damaged but are inexpensive and easy to replace. Most urban buildings are steel and concrete structures designed (not always successfully) to resist both typhoons and earthquakes. Damage is still significant, however, and many people are displaced each year by typhoons, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. In 1987 alone the Department of Social Welfare and Development helped 2.4 million victims of natural disasters.
Unless otherwise indicated, the information below is taken from CIA Factbook information for the Philippines.[61]
(measured from claimedarchipelagic baselines)
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The Philippines sit astridetyphoon belt and are usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes;tsunamis.
Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013 caused major problems.
Inpolitical geography, anenclave is a territory or part of a territory lying wholly within the boundaries of another, and anexclave is one which is politically attached to a larger piece but not actually contiguous with it. Many entities are both enclaves and exclaves, but the two are not synonymous.
Aquadripoint is a point on the Earth that touches four distinct regions. Such points are often called "four corners", from the corners of the four regions meeting there.
Four distinct geographic divisions converging at a single point is not uncommon in the Philippines, and there are other points of convergence between five or more divisions that can be found.
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 | This articleappears to contradict the articleExtreme points of the Philippines. Please discuss at thetalk page and do not remove this message until the contradictions are resolved.(January 2016) |
The island province ofMarinduque prides itself as being the geographic center of the Philippines.[63] The Marinduque governor has stated that their claim to be the Geographical Center of the Philippines has received notice and support from theNational Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).[64] The Luzon Datum of 1911 in Marinduque is used as point number one for all map makers in the country.[65]
The boundaries of thePhilippine archipelago are described in Article III of theTreaty of Paris (1898), as comprising anirregular polygon.[66] A box enclosing that polygon would have corners at 20°N 116°E, 20°N 127°E, 4.75°N 127°E, 4.75°N 116°E. The center of this box would lie at 121.5 E, 12.375 N. That point lies roughly in the center of theTablas Strait between the islands ofTablas andMindoro.
Republic Act No. 9522, "An Act to Define the Baselines of the Territorial Sea of the Philippines",[67] describes an irregular polygon which fits within a box with its center at 121°44'47.45"E 12°46'6.1252"N, a point also roughly in the center of the Tablas Strait.
TheCIA Factbook locates the Philippines at 13°N 122°E.[61]
The extreme points under Philippine control as of 2010[update] are:
| Direction | Location | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latitude (N) | Longitude (E) | ||
| North | Amianan Island,Batanes | 21º7’18.41" | 121º56’48.79" |
| East | Pusan Point,Davao Oriental[a] | 7º17’19.80" | 126º36’18.26" |
| South | Frances Reef,Tawi-Tawi | 4º24’53.84" | 119º14’50.71" |
| West | Thitu Island[b],Kalayaan, Palawan | 11°3’10.19" | 114°16’54.66" |
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The center of a box enclosing these points would be located at 12°46’6.13"N, 120°26’36.46"E. That point is located in theMindoro Strait, about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi)NNE of Apo Island, inSablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
{{cite book}}:|journal= ignored (help)Based on the average of all weather stations in the Philippines, excluding Baguio, the mean annual temperature is 26.6o C. The coolest months fall in January with a mean temperature of 25.5oC while the warmest month occurs in May with a mean temperature of 28.3oC. Latitude is an insignificant factor in the variation of temperature while altitude shows greater contrast in temperature. Thus, the mean annual temperature of Baguio with an elevation of 1,500 meters is 18.3oC.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. Philippines: A Country Study.Federal Research Division.| Sovereign states |
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13°00′00″N122°00′00″E / 13.000°N 122.000°E /13.000; 122.000
