PHILIPPINES GEOGRAPHY, PHYSICAL & NATURAL RESOURCES

• Philippine Landforms


  • Formed by three processes: Diastrophism, Volcanism, Gradation
• Diastrophism


  Movement of the earth's crust resulting in elevation of land
• Products of diastrophism


  • Sierra Madre
  • Cordillera
• Volcanism


  Activities involved in the movement of molten rocks and eruption to the surface
• Gradation


  Erosion of hills and mountains and deposition of sediments
• Philippines


  • An archipelago with irregular shape and about 7,641 islands and islets
  • Generally mountainous with mountains running north to south near the coastline
  • Extensive coastline of 34,600 km
  • Biggest water form is Sulu Sea
  • Few rivers and streams serving as transportation and irrigation
  • Lakes and waterfalls harnessed for industry
  • Many active, dormant and extinct volcanoes
  • Plains and valleys between mountains
  • Coral reefs skirting island edges
  • Wide expanse of territorial waters
• Natural Resources


  • Lands
  • Mountains
  • Forests
  • Seas
• Agricultural land


  12,300,000 hectares or 41% of total land area
• Agricultural sector contributes 17.09% to 18% of GNP
• Major Crops


  • Rice
  • Corn
  • Fruits and Nuts
  • Coconut
  • Sugarcane
  • Coffee
  • Mango
  • Tobacco
  • Abaca
• Rice


  • Staple food of Filipinos
  • Top 3 producing regions: Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, Southern Tagalog
• Corn


  • Second most important crop
  • Almost 4 million hectares planted
  • Top 3 producing regions: Southern Mindanao, Central Luzon, Western Visayas
• Fruits and Nuts


  • Atis
  • Avocado
  • Banana
  • Caimito
  • Cashew
  • Chico
  • Guyabano
  • Jackfruit
  • Mango
  • Lanzones
  • Papaya
  • Pili
  • Pineapple
  • Watermelon
  • Grapes
  • Calamansi
  • Mandarin
  • Orange
  • Pomelo
• Bananas and pineapples are the country's leading exports
• Major Coconut Producing Regions


  • Southern Mindanao
  • Southern Tagalog
  • Western Mindanao
• Major Sugarcane Producing Regions

  • Western Visayas
  • Central Luzon
  • Southern Tagalog
  • Central Visayas
  • Northern Mindanao
• Major Coffee Producing Regions

  • Southern Mindanao
  • Northern Mindanao
  • Southern Tagalog
• Major Mango Producing Regions

  • Western Visayas
  • Central Luzon
  • Ilocos Region
• Major Tobacco Producing Regions

  • Ilocos Region
  • Cagayan Valley
• Abaca is produced mainly in the Bicol region
• Livestock and Poultry


  • Carabao
  • Cattle
  • Hog
  • Goat
  • Chicken
  • Duck
• Major Inland Water Bodies

  • Laguna de Bay
  • Lake Lanao
  • Taal Lake
  • Lake Mainit
  • Cagayan River
  • Polangui River
• Pating Bulik/Whale Shark is the world's largest fish
• Pandaka pygmaea is one of the world's smallest fish
• Glory of the Sea (Glorious maris) is the rarest and most expensive shell
• Tridacna gigas is the world's largest shell
• Pisidium is the world's smallest shell
• Pearl of Allah/Pearl of Lao Tzu is the world's largest natural pearl
• Fishing Grounds


  Total area of 1.67 million sq.km, only 17% is tapped
• Destructive Fishing Methods


  • Use of dynamite
  • Electricity
  • Muro-ami
  • Fine nets
  • Big fishing trawl
  • Cyanide
• DENR is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• BFAR is the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
• There are 10,000 species of flowering plants and ferns in the Philippines
• Sampaguita is the national flower
• There are 1,000 varieties of orchids, with Waling-Waling being the rarest and most expensive "Queen of Philippine Orchids"
• Major Fish Species


  • Milkfish or bangus
  • Tilapia or St. Peter's fish
  • Galunggong (mackerel or scad)
  • Carp
  • Shrimps and prawns
• Shrimps and prawns are the top exports
• Energy Resources


  • Oil and Gas
  • Coal
  • Geothermal
  • Hydropower
  • Nonconventional (bagasse, agriwaste, alcohol, coconut oil, bio-gas, solar, wind)
• The Philippines is the world's second largest producer of geothermal energy, the least expensive among energy sources
• Major Geothermal Fields


  • Tiwi-Albay
  • Mak-ban-Laguna
  • Tongonan-Leyte
  • Palimpinon-Southern Negros
  • Bac-Man-Albay-Sorsogon