Overview of the Philippines
Located in Southeast Asia, the Philippines is a country established south of Taiwan and northeast of the island of Borneo. It is bordered on the north by the China Sea, on the east by the Philippine Sea (Pacific Ocean), on the south by the Celebes Sea and on the southwest by the Sulu Sea. The north of the country is 240 km from Taiwan and 1,000 km separate the Philippines from the Asian continent and China. The extreme south is represented by the Tawi-Tawi group of islands which is only 20 km from Borneo. For the record, 20,000 years ago the island of Borneo and the Philippines were connected by land, so that even today they retain similarities in terms of fauna and flora.
The Philippines stretches 2,000 km from north to south and 1,100 km from east to west, with 36,000 km of coastline - the longest coastline - and a total area of about 300,000 km2. This archipelago is one of the largest in the world, with more than 7,000 islands and islets (!), between 7,100 and 7,600, depending on whether the tide is high or low. It would take several years to explore them all. In fact, only 11 of these islands account for more than 95% of the land and a large majority of them are uninhabited (about 5,000). Some 3,000 islands have not even been given an official name.
Multiple facets
These thousands of islands are divided into three main groups: Luzon in the north, the Visayas in the center and Mindanao in the south. In this guide, for the sake of clarity, the Mimaropa region, which includes the famous Palawan archipelago and traditionally belongs to the Luzon group, is treated as a group in its own right. Palawan alone comprises 1,700 islands and islets.
Luzon. The country's largest island, it covers 35% of the country (109,000 km2) and is home to over 64 million people, representing more than half of the Philippine population. Surrounding it are other islands such as Batanes and Catanduanes. The north of the island is rather mountainous, characterized by two mountain ranges: the Cordillera Central and the Sierra Madre, separated by a large valley. This is also where you'll find the famous 2,000-year-old rice fields of Batad and Banaue. The central part of the island is a vast plain crossed by two major rivers, the Cagayan and the Pampanga. The region is the country's largest rice producer. Southern Luzon features the country's largest lake, Laguna de Bay (almost 1,000 km2), numerous volcanoes and a coastline dotted with small bays and peninsulas.
Mimaropa. The archipelago takes its name from the acronym of its four constituent provinces: Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan. This string of islands and islets is generally characterized by mountainous terrain covered by dense tropical forest. The Palawan archipelago is probably the best known and most popular tourist destination in the Philippines. This is where you'll find the famous karst peaks of El Nido and Coron, high rocky islets, black in color and covered with lush vegetation, dropping steeply into waters oscillating between green and blue.
Visayas. This group is made up of hundreds of islands licked by heavenly beaches and turquoise waters. This is where tourism is developing most. The main islands are Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Samar. The last two are among the hardest hit by typhoons. The island of Cebu is home to the city of Cebu, the second most populous city after the capital. Then there's Siquijor, an island of a thousand beauties that is fast becoming a top tourist destination. Geographically speaking, it's probably Bohol that holds the most remarkable natural curiosity: the Chocolate Hills. The Chocolate Hills are an agglomeration of thousands of conical, plump, vegetation-covered hills that stretch as far as the eye can see. This geological formation dates back over two million years.
Mindanao. Located in the far south, this is the country's second-largest island in terms of surface area (97,500 km2) and population (27 million), after Luzon. To the north of the main island are the islands of Siargao, Camiguin and Dinagat. At the southern end, near Borneo, lie the Sulu-Sulu and Samal archipelagos. Mount Apo, a dormant volcano almost 3,000 metres high, is the highest peak in the Philippines. It dominates Mindanao. The landscape is characterized by imposing mountain ranges and volcanoes, interspersed with valleys and broad plateaus. To the east of Mindanao, the world's second deepest ocean plunges to a depth of 10,500 m. Frequent rainfall and a rich soil, thanks to the volcanoes, favor intense agricultural activity (pineapples, natural rubber, coffee, rice...). The land is also rich in mineral resources. Gold, quartz, zinc and lead can all be found.
Administrative divisions of the country
The Philippines is divided into 17 regions, which in turn are divided into 82 provinces. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor. All 148 cities have their own city hall, housing the mayor 's office. There are some 1,500 municipalities and over 42,000 barangays (formerly barrios). Barangays are the smallest administrative divisions, corresponding to various realities such as a village, a district or a neighborhood. The power and autonomy of these local authorities is growing as a result of the relocation programs carried out by recent Philippine governments.
The country's main cities are Manila (the capital), Cebu and Davao. More specifically, Quezon City, the former capital from 1948 to 1976, is the country's largest and most populous city. It belongs to Greater Manila(Metro Manila ), the capital's metropolitan region, which comprises 17 cities and has a population of over 14 million. Often, the choice of city names is hardly surprising: the capital city bears the same name as its province, such as Siquijor, Cebu, Cotabato, Romblon and Zamboanga. Similarly, for example, the city of Roxas and the city of St. Joseph are found on the islands of Luzon, Mindoro, Romblon, Panay and Palawan. Indeed, many towns are named after former presidents, such as the town of Roxas (Manuel A. Roxas, 1946-1948) or the town of Quezon (Manuel L. Quezon, 1935-1944). It should be noted, however, that the origin of some town and village names refers to language comprehension problems upon the arrival of the Spanish colonizers. For example, when the Spaniards landed on the island of Leyte, they asked for the name of the place. And along the river by which they arrived, swarms of bees were swarming everywhere. The natives thought they wanted to know how to say "bees", and replied buyog. The Spaniards repeated "Ah! buyog" and this became the name of the town, Abuyog. Today, the town of Abuyog organizes a lovely festival, the Buyogan Festival, around - you guessed it - the bee. So don't hesitate to ask when the name of a town seems original, as there may be an equally original story behind it. As for the parks, most of them are dedicated to the national hero José Rizal. There's hardly a city that doesn't have a Rizal Park in its central square. There are also many Magsaysay parks, in memory of former president Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957).
Lands of volcanoes
Finally, the Philippines would not be what it is without its volcanoes. Since its origins, the archipelago's physiognomy has been shaped by the diverse natural phenomena to which it is exposed: volcanic eruptions, typhoons, monsoons, tropical cyclones and earthquakes. A land of volcanoes, the Philippines boasts some 300 volcanoes, 24 of which are considered active. A volcano is considered active when it has erupted within the last 10,000 years. The archipelago's volcanic origins can be explained by the fact that it is part of what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. This chain of volcanoes stretches 40,000 km around the Pacific Ocean, and owes its existence to some of the world's deepest marine trenches and to subduction between tectonic plates - i.e., one plate sliding under another to form a volcano. These plate movements are also responsible for the majority of earthquakes and tremors on the planet, which is why we often hear about the Pacific Ring of Fire when referring to natural disasters.
Returning to the Philippines, the archipelago's main peaks are volcanoes, offering breathtaking scenery. Southern Luzon alone boasts 13 active volcanoes. The most active - and one of the most majestic - is the Mayon volcano, near the town of Legazpi. With its near-perfect conical shape, it is reminiscent of Mount Fuji (minus the snow-capped peak) and offers marvellous hiking opportunities. It has erupted 49 times in the last 500 years, most recently in 2018. Still in the south of Luzon, Taal volcano is also known to tourists for its ease of access, as it is located just 60 kilometers from Manila, the capital. It takes the form of a huge volcanic crater occupied by a lake in which lies its volcanic cone, at the heart of which lies another lake... In short, it's a bit like the Russian doll of volcanoes. Its last eruption, in 2022, led to the evacuation of thousands of people. Also worth mentioning is Mount Apo, 30 km from Davao, on the southern island of Mindanao: at 2,954 metres, it is the country's highest peak. Camiguin, the island of Mindanao, is known as the "island of seven volcanoes". With an area the size of Marseille, it has the highest density of volcanoes in the world, the best-known being Hibok-Hibok. Last but not least, Mount Pinatubo, northwest of Manila, is infamous for its sudden awakening in 1991, causing extensive damage and hundreds of casualties after more than 500 years of dormancy. Since then, it has once again become an asset to the region, offering exceptional hiking trails and being monitored, like all the others, by PHIVOLCS, the government agency that studies volcanic phenomena, monitors reactions and forecasts eruptions and earthquakes.
