Geographic Locations

Geographic Location

Location of the PhilippinesThe Philippines is situated in the southeast section of Asia.

It is bounded in the north by Taiwan, in the west by the West Philippine Sea, in the east by the Pacific Ocean, and in the south by the Celebes Sea.

It is included in the Asia Pacific rim.

It lies slightly a little above the equator

Character of the LandThe Philippines stretches almost a thousand miles from north to south.

It has a land surface area of 114,830 square statute miles.

It is mountainous and has several active, as well as dormant volcanoes.

It is also riverine with a good number of river systems.

The Philippines has a tropical climate.

SIERRA MADRE

MT. APO

MT. MAKILING

MAYON VOLCANO

TAAL VOLCANO

CAGAYAN RIVER

AGUS RIVER

PASIG RIVERCharacter of the LandIt is an archipelago consisting of about 7,107 islands and islets- This explains the weakness of the Filipinos sense of nationalism, the diverse languages spoken in the country, the strong sense of regionalism and the existence of subcultures throughout the island.

- This archipelago character however has resulted in the maritime orientation of the inhabitants, making them expert sailors and navigators and famous boat builders has brought about the development of the fishing industry in the country.Neighboring Countries of the PhilippinesNorthernSouthernWesternEasternChinaMalaysiaVietnamMarianas Group of IslandsTaiwanSingaporeLaosPalauNorth KoreaBruneiCambodiaSouth KoreaIndonesiaThailandJapanEast TimorMyanmarNames given to the PhilippinesBiblical NameChinese NamesSpanish NamesOther NamesOfir or OphirMai, or MayiArchipelago de San LazaroTreasure Islands of the PacificChin SanArchipelago de MagallanesGems of the EastLiu SungArchipelago de LegaspiIsles of FearManiolasIsles of HopeCesaria CaroliIsles of FaithIslas FelipinasOrphans of the PacificPerlas ng SilangananMaharlikaImportant Geographical FeaturesTOPOGRAPHYThe Philippines is rugged land traversed by mountain ranges.It has an irregular coastline.It has extensive coastal plains, arable valleys, and deltas.It has navigable rivers and cascading waterfalls.Generally mountainous, the country has seven mountain ranges. The greatest is Sierra Madre in Luzon and the highest peak is Mount Apo in Mindanao which is 9,690 feet high.The lowest part if the Philippine Deep situated about 45 miles northeast of Mindanao which is 34,218 feet below sea level.

Important Geographical FeaturesCOASTLINE, RIVERS, AND LAKESThe country has an extensive coastline longer than that of continental United StatesThe sea coasts of the islands are indented with numerous bays, harbors, and covesThe largest river in the Philippines is the Cagayan River which is 352 miles long.The Philippines has numerous lakes. The largest is the Laguna de Bay. Others of significant size are Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur, Taal Lake in Batangas, Lake Naujan in Mindoro, and Lake Bito in Leyte. The lakes and rivers in the country, however, are no longer in their pristine state. Continuous denudation of forest areas and siltation have alarmingly lowered the water level in these rivers and lakes, and the water has become polluted.

LAGUNA DE BAY

LANAO LAKE

LAKE NAUJANImportant Geographical FeaturesWATERFALLS AND MINERAL SPRINGSThe Philippines has many waterfalls. The most famous is the Pagsanjan Falls in Laguna, one of the countrys main tourist attractions. The largest waterfall, on the other hand, Is the Botocan falls, also in Laguna. The Hinulugan Falls in Antipolo, Rizal, is rich in legendary lore. In Mindanao, the most important waterfall is the Maria Cristina falls in Lanao del Norte.Mineral springs or spas are plentiful in the Philippines. The well-known spas are found in the Pagsanjan, Pansol, Los banos in Laguna, in Pandi and Marilao, Bulacan in Lemerv and Nasugbu, Batangas; in Goa, Camarines Sur; in Magunjal, Ilocos Sur; and in Murcia, Negros Occidental.As potential source of power, the best in the country is the Maria Cristina Falls in Lanao del Norte.The lessening in the volume of water in rivers and lakes brought about by the alarming denudation of forested areas has also drastically reduced their potential use and for tourist attraction.

PAGSANJAN FALLS

HINULUGAN FALLS

MARIA CRISTINA FALLSINFLUENCES OR EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPH ON THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE FILIPINOS

OCCUPATIONAL INFLUENCEThe primary livelihood activities were farming and fishing due to the archipelagic and topographic features of the country.Boat building was developed.Filipinos became expert sailors and navigators.Because of forested areas and the presence of varied fauna, Filipinos invented and fabricated different traps and hunting implements.Abundance of clay enabled Filipinos to go into pottery making.INFLUENCES OR EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPH ON THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE FILIPINOS

CULTURAL INFLUENCEDiverse languages developed because of relative isolation of cultures from one another and of differences in the physical environmentSub-cultures developed throughout the archipelago. Variations in the physical environment led to the different occupations and experiences in life resulting in the development of a wide spectrum of cultural traits and practices in language, costumes, food, utensils, marriage practices, rituals, and others. The outcome is the existence of ethno-linguistic groups throughout the length of the archipelago and of societies with different degrees of development.Culture contacts were made with early traders Chinese, Indian, Arab, and Southern Asian. These contacts were significant because they brought about cultural borrowings thereby enriching Filipino culture.INFLUENCES OR EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPH ON THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE FILIPINOS

SOCIO-POLITICAL EFFECTSA sense of regionalism and sectionalism developed.It delayed the birth of nationalismFilipinos could easily be subjugated by foreign invaders because of geographical isolation and lack of cohesion.Development if the upland and lowland communities was uneven. Lowland and coastal communities had greater contacts with the outside world through trade and maritime explorations making them more informed and more open to change. They usually had surplus production because of wet farming activity. Thus, lowland communities developed faster than upland communities which remained relatively isolated.