1 LECTURE NOTES IN GEOGRAPHY OF THE PHILIPPINES AND NATURAL RESOURCES The Philippines - is an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a total land area of - 300,000 km2. - the archipelago is around 800 km from the Asian mainland and is located between Taiwan and Borneo Continent Asia Region Southeast Asia Coordinates 13°00'N 122°00'E Ranked 73rd 300,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi) Area 99.38% land 0.62 % water Borders None Mount Apo Highest point 2,954 m (9,691 ft) Philippine Sea Lowest point 0 m/0 ft (sea level) Longest river Cagayan River Largest lake Laguna de Bay 11 largest islands - contain 94% of the total land area. Luzon - the largest of these islands at about 105,000 km2. Mindanao - The next largest island is at about 95,000 km2.. islands - are divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Luzon islands -include Luzon island itself, Palawan, Mindoro, Marinduque, Masbateand Batanes Islands. Visayas - is the group of islands in the central Philippines, the largest of which are: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Samar. Mindanao islands - include Mindanao itself, plus the Sulu Archipelago, composed primarily of Basilan, Sulu Island, and Tawi-Tawi. 2 PHYSICALSETTING Philippine archipelago - lies in Southeast Asia in a position that has led to its becoming a cultural crossroads, a place where Malays, Arabs, Chinese, Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and others have interacted to forge a unique cultural and racial blend. - numbers some 7,107 islands and the nation claims an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its shores. Philippines - occupies an area that stretches for 1,850 kilometers from about the fifth to the twentieth parallels north latitude. Slightly more than 300,000 square kilometers – is the total land area. Only approximately 1,000 of its islands - are populated, and fewer than one-half of these are larger than 2.5 square kilometers. Eleven islands - make up 95 percent of the Philippine landmass, and two of these — Luzon and Mindanao Luzon - measures 105,000 Mindanao – measures 95,000 square kilometers Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao - represent the three principal regions of the archipelago that are identified by the three stars on the Philippine flag. Philippines - is broken up by the sea, topographically, which gives it one of the longest 3 coastlines of any nation in the world. Most Filipinos - live on or near the coast, where they can easily supplement their diet from approximately 2,000 species of fish. Philippine Trough - is found off the coast of eastern Mindanao which descends to a depth of 10,430 meters. Philippines - is part of a western Pacific arc system that is characterized by active volcanoes. The Most Notable Peaks 1. Mount Mayon near Legazpi City, 2. Taal Volcano south of Manila, 3. Mount Apo on Mindanao. All of the Philippine islands - are prone to earthquakes. The northern Luzon highlands, or Cordillera Central - rise to between 2,500 and 2,750 meters, Sierra 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 the Philippine eagle (or monkey-eating eagle), some 800 species of orchids, and some 8,500 species of flowering plants. The Country's Most Extensive River Systems 4 1. The Pulangi River, which flows into the Mindanao River (Rio Grande de Mindanao) 2. The Agusan River , in Mindanao which flows north into the Mindanao Sea; \ 3. The Cagayan River in northern Luzon; and the Pampanga, which flows south from east Central Luzon into Manila Bay. 4. Laguna de Bay, east of Manila Bay, is the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines. Several rivers have been harnessed for hydroelectric power. • To protect the country's biological resources, the government has taken a first step of preparing a Biodiversity Action Plan to address conservation of threatened species. Political Geography The Philippines - is divided into a hierarchy of local government units (LGUs) with the 81 provinces as the primary unit. Provinces - are further subdivided into cities and municipalities Cities And Municipalities - are composed of barangays. Barangay - is the smallest local government unit. Philippines - is divided into 17 regions with all provinces grouped into one of 16 regions for administrative convenience. The National Capital Region - is divided into four special districts. Most government offices - establish regional offices to serve the constituent provinces. The regions - do not possess a separate local government, with the exception of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Regions • Ilocos Region (Region I) • Cagayan Valley (Region II) • Central Luzon (Region III) 5 • CALABARZON (Region IV-A) • MIMAROPA (Region IV-B) • Bicol Region (Region V) • Western Visayas (Region VI) • Central Visayas (Region VII) • Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) • Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) • Northern Mindanao (Region X) • Davao Region (Region XI) • Soccsksargen (Region XII) • Caraga (Region XIII) • Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) • Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) • National Capital Region (NCR; Metro Manila) Provinces • Abra • Agusan del Norte • Agusan del Sur • Aklan • Albay • Antique • Apayao • Aurora • Basilan 6 • Bataan • Batanes • Batangas • Benguet • Biliran • Bohol • Bukidnon • Bulacan • Cagayan • Camarines Norte • Camarines Sur • Camiguin • Capiz • Catanduanes • Cavite • Cebu • Compostela Valley • Davao del Norte • Davao del Sur • Davao Oriental • Dinagat Islands • Eastern Samar • Guimaras • Ifugao • Ilocos Norte • Ilocos Sur • Iloilo • Isabela 7 • Kalinga • La Union • Laguna • Lanao del Norte • Lanao del Sur • Leyte • Maguindanao • Marinduque • Masbate • Misamis Occidental • Misamis Oriental • Mountain Province • Negros Occidental • Negros Oriental • Northern Samar • North Cotabato • Nueva EciJa • Nueva Vizcaya • Occidental Mindoro • Oriental Mindoro • Palawan • Pampanga • Pangasinan • Quezon • Quirino • Rizal • Romblon • Samar 8 • Sarangani • Shariff Kabunsuan • SiquiJor • Sorsogon • South Cotabato • Southern Leyte • Sultan Kudarat • Sulu • Surigao del Norte • Surigao del Sur • Tarlac • Tawi-Tawi • Zambales • Zamboanga del Norte • Zamboanga del Sur • Zamboanga Sibugay List Of Landlocked Provinces In The Philippines A landlocked province - is one that has no coastline, meaning no access to sea or ocean. There are 16 landlocked provinces in the Philippines: • All provinces of Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao and Benguet • Two provinces of Cagayan Valley (Region II): Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino • Two provinces of Central Luzon (Region III): Nueva EciJa and Tarlac • Three provinces of Mindanao: o Bukidnon of Northern Mindanao (Region X) o Cotabato Province of Soccsksargen (Region XII) o Agusan del Sur of Caraga (Region XIII), 9 • Laguna and Rizal Province of CALABARZON (Region IV-A) have coastlines on Laguna de Bay. Since lakes do not allow access to seaborne trade, these provinces are still considered to be landlocked. List Of Island Provinces In The Philippines An island province - completely surrounded by water, is the opposite of a landlocked one. There are 17 island provinces in the Philippines: • One province of Cagayan Valley (Region II): Batanes • Five provinces of MIMAROPA (Region IV-B): Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan • Two provinces of Bicol (Region V): Catanduanes and Masbate • One province of Western Visayas (Region VI): Guimaras • Three provinces of Central Visayas (Region VII): Cebu, Bohol and SiquiJor • One province of Eastern Visayas (Region VIII): Biliran • One province of Northern Mindanao (Region X): Camiguin • Three provinces of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM): Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi Subnational Enclaves And Exclaves Enclave - is a territory or part of a territory lying wholly within the boundaries of another, Exclave - is one which is politically attached to a larger piece but not actually contiguous with it. Chartered Cities - are not considered to be a part of any provinces of the country, some cities are completely surrounded by provinces where they do not belong. • Baguio City is an enclave in Benguet province. • Angeles City is an enclave in Pampanga province. • Naga City is an enclave in Camarines Sur province. 10 Exclaves which are not enclaves • Caloocan City is divided in two by Valenzuela City. • The municipality of Cordon is separated from the rest of Isabela province by Santiago City. • In Cotabato province, the municipality of President Roxas is divided in two by Antipas municipality. Pene-enclaves/exclaves and inaccessible districts • Three municipalities and two cities of Laguna are separated by the municipality of Santo Tomas, Batangas (a portion of SLEX crosses the municipality) from the rest of the province. • In SoCCSKSarGen, Sarangani province is divided by General Santos City or Sarangani Bay. • In Zamboanga Peninsula: o Isabela City is part of this region (although it is the capital of the ARMM province of Basilan), but it is separated from it by Basilan Strait. o Zamboanga del Sur — Zamboanga City, a chartered city, is unofficially part of this province but is separated from it by Zamboanga Sibugay. • Some coastal barangays in Canaman, Camarines Sur do not have direct connection to barangays in poblacion. People from some coastal barangays in Canaman have to pass Camaligan via Barangays of Sua and Dugcal or Naga City via Bicol River