Geography

My trip around Philippines wouldn't be complete if I didn't find out any information regarding her geography. At the same time, I can take note of rainy and sunny seasons and get my umbrella ready, just in case!

General location: The Philippine archipelago is composed of 7,107 islands, with a land area of 299,764 sq.kilometers.

Its length measures 1,850 kilometers, starting from the point near the southern tip of Taiwan and ending close to northern Borneo. Its breadth is about 965 kilometers and the Philippine coastline adds up to 17,500 km.

Above is a map of the Philippines which I found on the Internet. As you can see, three prominent bodies of water surround the archipelago and they are the Pacific Ocean on the east, the South China Sea on the west and north, and the Celebes Sea on the south.

Climate: The geographical location of the Philippines makes the country have a tropical rainforest climate dominated by a rainy season and a dry season.

The summer monsoon brings heavy rains to most of the archipelago from May to October, whereas the winter monsoon brings cooler and drier air from December to February. Looks like I have to get my umbrella ready just in case!

Topography: The topography is extremely varied, with volcanic mountain masses forming the cores of most of the larger islands. The range culminates in Mt. Pulog in northern Luzon and in Mt. Apo, the highest point in the Philippines, in Mindanao. A number of volcanoes are active, and the islands have been subject to destructive earthquakes. A beautiful skyline can also be observed from the top of the mountains! I'm going to get a few friends to start on a mountain climb with me soon!

Lowlands are generally narrow coastal strips except for larger plains in Luzon, Mindanao, and others in Negros and Panay.
Rivers are short and generally seasonal in flow and important ones are the Cagayan, Agno, Abra, Bicol, and Pampanga in Luzon and the Cotabato and Agusan in Mindanao. Flooding is a frequent hazard and Filipinos have to be very careful!

Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon) in Philippines and I was totally blown over while visiting it last week! The bay was the setting for the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 and the seige of Corregidor Island by invading Japanese forces in 1942. Today, Manila Bay remains important for commerce and industry and is a popular destination for walks and viewing the sunset. Its historical background and beautiful scenary makes it a must-go in Philippines!