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My Country, The Philippines
Geography,
Natural Resources, Seasons and Climate
The Philippines is one of the largest archipelagos in
the world. Its coastline is irregular and longer than the coastline of the United States. This unique geographic characteristic
exerted a strong influence on the socio-economic life of primitive and early settlements as well as later communities in the
Philippines. Trading posts were established along the coastal areas. Today, some of these trading posts like Manila and Cebu
have become major urban areas in the Philippines. The coastal areas and freshwater lakes and rivers are rich sources of fishes.
Approximately **2,000 species of fish have been identified and some of these are used for commercial purposes. These marine products
include bangus (milkfish), barile (tuna), banak (mullet), dalag (mudfish) and dilis (anchovy). Other marine products
include suso (snails), alimango (crabs), hipon (shrimps), lobsters and clams as well as edible seaweeds, shells,
corals and pearls.
The landscape of the Philippines is shaped by its mountains
and volcanoes. In Luzon, there are five major mountain ranges, namely: Caraballo, Cordillera, Sierra Madre, Zambales and Tagaytay.
The Caraballo and Cordillera mountain ranges are found in the northern portion of Luzon while the Sierra Madre mountain range
is located in the west-north portion of Luzon (Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan provinces). The Zambales range is situated
in the provinces of Zambales and Bataan while the Tagaytay range is situated in the southern Tagalog provinces of Cavite and
Batangas. In the island of Mindanao, there are four major mountain ranges, namely: Surigao, Butuan, Central-Western and
Western. The highest mountain, Mt Apo (9,692 feet), is located in the central-western range.
Active volcanoes can be found in the various regions
of the country. Among these volcanoes, Mt. Pinatubo, Taal volcano and Mt. Mayon have produced the most destructive eruptions.
The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1990 buried towns, killed dozens of people and rendered tens of thousands of people homeless.
The eruption of Taal volcano in 1911 killed more than 1,300 persons and its eruption in 1966 buried six barrios and
killed hundreds of people. On the other hand, these volcanoes have made the land very fertile, and the produce of the land,
however inadequate during certain periods of time, has sustained the Filipino people throughout its history.
The Philippines is rich in natural resources. Its fertile
land produces a variety of crops such as coconut, copra, banana, pineapples, sugar, gum, resins and rubber. Some of these
agricultural crops are raised for export. Rice, which is the staple food of Filipinos, is produced, largely, in the
Central Plains of Luzon. Rice production often falls short of consumption requirement, and quite ironically, the Philippines
is a rice importer. Plant and animal life is extremely diverse, and many plants and animals are endemic to the Philippines,
which means they can be found only in this country. The Philippines holds the distinction as one of the seventeen countries
whose combined plant and animal species account for **70-80% of the world's biological diversity. It has approximately **52,177 species of flora and fauna. From among these living things, an estimated **14,000 plant species and **1,130 animals with backbones (terrestrial vertebrates) are found in forest areas. However, the wildlife
environment faces a number of problems and challenges. Some Philippine animals and plants are now listed in the CITES Appendix
I as critically endangered species. The endangered Philippine species found in the list include, among others, the Calamian
deer, giant scops owl, Koch's pitta, Mindoro imperial pigeon, Palawan peacock pheasant, Panay flying-fox, Philippine crocodile,
Philippine eagle, Philippine tamaraw, Visayan warty pig and various types of orchids. Forest management is at a critical stage.
Only remnants of the total forest area during the early 1900 remain and they are found in the mountain ranges. The survival
of these plants and animals depends on the conservation of forest and wildlife environment.
**Source: Interconnected Lives: The Second Philippine National Report to the Convention
on Biological Diversity
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Seasons and Climate
Seasons
Dry and Wet Seasons
Dry Season
December - May
Wet Season
June - November
Climate
Tropical
Cool and Dry
December - February
Warm to Hot
March - May
Rainy
June - October
Cool and Dry or Rainy
November
Mineral Resources
Metallic Minerals
Chromium, Copper,
Gold,
Iron Ore, Lead,
Manganese, Silver, Zinc
Non-Metallic Minerals
Asbestos, Clay, Coal,
Gas,
Limestone, Oil, Salt, Sand
Nature Conservation
**Protected Areas
Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park
Batanes Protected Landscape/Seascape
Sagay Protected Landscape/Seascape
Mount Kanlaon Natural Park
Mount Kitanglad Natural Park
Animal Info
The Philippine eagle is one of the largest (if not the largest) eagles
in the world.
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Click Or Press The Underlined Titles
To View
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"Official Name, Titles Associated with the Philippines, National Symbols,
Location and Description, Government, Socio-Political Structure, Languages and Dialects, Language Info"
"Education in General, Constitutional Basis of Philippine Education,
Some Legal Bases of Philippine Education, Literacy Rate in the Philippines"
"Geography, Landscape, Natural Resources, Seasons and Climate, Minerals,
Biodiversity, Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, Animal Info"
"General Information on the Philippines, Places, Manila, Quezon City,
Tourist Spots, Provinces, Regions"
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