Origin and geography of the philippines

There are many explanations about the origin of our
land, as follows:
 As
, we believe that the land forms were
made by
as part of his creation. After the
, many continents and islands
appeared. So the descendants of Noah spread out to
many parts of the world.
 The other religions of some tribes explain the origin of
our land by telling
are stories that are not true, but
people use them to explain some thing in colorful
way.


One legend says our land came from a
who
was
. He got tired and threw
the rock down, so it broke to many pieces and formed
the many islands of our country.
 Another legend about
between the
. The sky threw the
rocks down to the sea, and thus was formed the
islands.
have different opinions about the origin of our
country.
 Some geologist claim that it was the remnant of
prehistoric continent called
in
the Pacific Ocean. Due to volcanic eruptions or
earthquakes, this vast continent sank beneath the
ocean.




Other believed that the eruption caused the gradual
emergence of the islands above the ocean.
was part of the
or
the continental shelf of Asia.
 About 25,000 years ago, the
ended the worlds
, and the rising sea level flooded the land
bridges connecting the continent of Asia and the
Philippines.
The
, a little
above the Equator, between latitudes 4 23’N and
longitude 116 E and 127 E.
 The map shown the Philippine Territorial sea and
Exclusive Economic Zone.












It is bounded in the east by the Pacific Ocean, in the
west by the South China Sea, Bashi channel, and in
the south by the Zulu and Celebes Seas.
The northernmost island is
only 240 km.
from Taiwan, which can be seen on a clear day. The
southernmost island in
, about 24 km.
from Sabah (North Borneo).

It is the
in the non-Christian
Asian world.
It is the melting pot of races and cultures, with a
from Asia, Europe, Latin
America, and North America.
It is the
that links the Occidental and Oriental
worlds.










It is at the
of Asia’s air and sea routes.
It is the bastion of
in Asia where most
countries are kingdoms, military dictatorships, or oneparty government .

The total land area of the Phil. Is
. km. or
0.2percent of the worlds land mass.
Having
, it is one of the world’s largest
archipelagos or group of islands.
The
and their areas are
(104,687 sq. km.);
(94,630sq.km.);
(13,080sq.km.);
(12,709sq.km.);
(11
,785sq.km.);
(11,515sq.km.);
(9,735s
sq.km.);
(7,214sq.
km.);
(4,422)sq.km.);
(3,864sq.km.);and
(3,269sq.km.)





On June 11,1978, President Marcos signed Presidential
Decree No.1596, declaring the
a part of the Philippines, to be administered as
municipality of the Province of Palawan.
means the physical features of country. The
Philippines is an inverted
archipelago of
numerous islands, and islets, coral reefs, abundant
rivers, lakes and bays; mountains and valleys; cool
plateaus and scenic volcanoes.
It has the
in the
world-34,600kilometer. It has 61
and
20

is the finest harbor in Asia and also the
largest Bay in the Philippines .
 The narrowest strait in the world is
between Samar and Leyte, now connected by the
San Juanico Bridge.
 The
in the country are historic Bataan
Peninsula and the fertile Bicol Peninsula in Luzon , and
The Zamboanga and Davao Peninsula in Mindanao.
 The lowest place in the country is the
some 89 km. northeast of Mindanao. With depth
of 37,732 ft. below sea level, it is said to be “the deepest
place in the world.”
 The Philippines has softly mountains and numerous
valleys

The longest being the
range from
Cagayan Province in the north and to Laguna in the
south.
 The highest mountain is
in Mindanao(9,690
feet or 2,954) meters above sea level.) The second
highest peak is
on the Ifugao-Benguet
boundary in Luzon (2,982 meters).
 Other noted peaks are Mt.Banahaw in Laguna-Quezon
;Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon; Mt. Halcon in Mindoro
Oriental; Mt. Kanloan in Negros Occidental; and Mt.
Matutum in Cotabato.








The Central Plain and Cagayan Valley in Luzon, and
Agusan Valley and the Cotobato Valley in Mindanao.
The
of the
Philippines.
is the greatest tobaccoproducing region in Asia, is also the largest valley.
Among the famous plateaus are the
Plateau in
northern Luzon on which nestles the summer capital of
the Philippines,
(“City of Pines”), and the fertile
in Mindanao. Famous for its
delicious pineapples.

Its longest river is the
, whose annual
flood fertilizes the Cagayan Valley as the Nile river of
Egypt.
 In water volume, the
is the
Largest river .
 Most historic of the
is the
, which is unfortunately is now so badly polluted it
is gradually dying.
 Out of 59 natural Lakes, the
which was source of inspiration for Jose Rizal our
national hero.




There are

that are vulnerable for their
like in Los Baños
and Pan sol in Laguna Pandi and Sibul in Bulacan; Tiwi
in Albay; and Magsingal in Ilocos sur.

provide tourist attractions and hydroelectric
power. The world renowned
is a favorite tourists resort and move location.

Maria Cristina Falls in Lanao del Norte;
 Hinulugang Taktak in Antipolo;
 Tamaraw Falls in Mindoro Oriental; and Darosdos Falls
in Samar.


The Philippine climate is
in
character.
 The temperature varies from 21 to 32 C(70 to 90 F)
 There are the two instincts seasons(from December to May) and
(from
June to November.)
 The
month is January and the
month is
May.
in rather high from 71 to 85 percent. Due to
the tropical weather and surrounding seas.
is the most important factor in its climate, with
most rainy days from July to Oct.


The Philippines sits on
where most
natural calamities happen.
These
are typhoons, earthquakes or
volcanic eruptions. They cause great damage to people
, property and nature.
 One natural calamity is the
. It is the
meaning
.
 In
it is called a
During the months of
June to October , more than a dozen Typhoon hit the
country.
that hit the country
was on July 16, 1990. The earthquake, which
measured 7.7 on the Richter scale, killed more than
1,500people on the main island of Luzon.


There are more than 50 volcanoes in the country.
 Most famous and scenic of the Phil. volcanoes is
, which has a nearly
perfect one. It has erupted more than 30 times in
recorded history from 1616 to the present.
 It is the most destructive eruption occurred on
Feb.1,1814, when the town of Casagwa was buried
1,2oo people died.
the smallest and most unusual volcano, being
surrounded by a lake in Batangas erupted more
than 20 times.
 The
in history happened
at
in June 1991. The
Pinatubo volcanic eruption damaged six provinces
in Central Luzon. It is believed that the Pinatubo
Affected climate around the world.


God, Land and People. There are
about knowing the
country’s history. These are:

The Philippines is blessed in all three ways.

Early
visited Mindoro called our
nation
”. This
, because they
bought gold in Mindoro.
 A Greek map maker named
(90168A.D.) called our islands
in his ancient
map.
 When
came in 1521 he called the Philippines
But the name did not
become popular.
 In 1543, a Spanish Explorer named
gave the name
to the Philippines
Phil. In honor of Crown Prince Felipe(Philip) who later
became King Philip II of Spain.


The
later became
during the
Spanish colonial era. Then it became “
during the American colonial era. Then “the
Republic of the Philippines.
 Then “
” after our
independence in 1946.


-the
for the Philippines.
This was the
given to our country by
two Famous writers. One of them was a
named
in 1751. But the Filipino who popularized
this name was
, our National Hero.



The
of a country include soil, plant
and animal life, fish and marine
resources, minerals, energy sources, and scenic beauty of
nature.

Soil the country’s
because most of the people earn a living from tilling the
land. The people are fortunate to have a highly fertile
soil.
 According to the Bureau of Soils, about
of the
country’s arable land of 11 million hectares has been
badly eroded.


When properly cultivate the farms and plantation can yield
good crops – rice and corn, coconuts, sugar abaca and
tobacco, and fruits (bananas, pineapples and mangoes)
and nuts.



God has blessed our country with the greatest diversity
of plant and animal life on earth. We have
species of plant and animals.

According to agricultural experts, 8,120 species of plant
grow in the country. About 1000 varieties of
orchids, 1000 species of rice, and 3000 species of trees
found in it.
 The
is the famous
, the national flower.




About
species of birds are found in country, more
than Australia, Japan, and other Asian countries. The
Biggest Bird is the eastern Sarus Crane, known as tipol
in Luzon and labong in Visayas. It is the wadding bird
with very long legs andf neck. When full grown, it is five
and half feet.

The Philippine or
, the World’s
Largest Eagle, which is now the National Birds.
 The
, called the “ Clock of the Mountains” by the
Spanish colonizers because, it always makes a loud call
at noon in the mountains.
 The
, which can talk and sing like a human.


The
, a dancing bird with gorgeous
plumage and;
 The
, a hawk which screams repeatedly as it
soars into the sky; tik-wee tik-wee.
 The most useful of the animals is the
(water
buffalo), the farmers best friend.


2.

3.

4.

of Mindoro which looks like a dwarf
carabao and is fierce like a tiger;
the
, reputed to be the smallest monkey
in the world;
the
of Balabac Island (Palawan Province
which is the smallest deer in the world;and
the
, which is half zebra and half
donkey, bred for the first time at the Manila Zoo in
1962.

 The

forest lands have total area 16,633,000
hectares, representing55percent of the total land
area.
 More than 3,000 species of trees are found in our
forests, 1000 of which are commercial timber.
 The most famous of forest trees is the
,”
”. It is the
National Tree.
 At

least 2,000 species of fish are found in the waters
of the archipelago
 Both
and
are found in the Philippines.

Rhincodon typus) is called
(striped shark) by fishermen because of
its black stripes. It is about 50 feet in length and weighs
several tons, and was firsts sighted in 1816 at Mariveles
Bay.
 The
(Pandaka pygmea) and tabios, the
two smallest fish, were found in the Philippine waters.
Like the size of a grain of rice.
 Of the world’s 60,000 species of shells some 20,000 are
available in the Philippines.
 The world’s
shell,called
“
”(Conus gloriamaris), and the
Golden Cowrie, another rare shell, are both found here.
 Also present in Philipppine waters are the
,
, and the
,


The huge of

-the world’s
, is said to be 350
years old, 14 pounds in weight. It was valued at US
$ 3.5million.
Many minerals are found in the country
).Metallic mineral like nickel.
Copper, iron, and gold are relatively abundant. The
country is one of Asia’s great gold producing
regions.
 The best known
district in the country is
Mankayan in the Mountain Province where the
oldest and best copper mine still exist.
 The greatest iron bearing areas in the country are
in the Surigao provinces (del norte and del sur).


Energy

(power) is used to supply
electricity and fuel to run
factories, light homes and offices, and
to move cars, trucks and boats. After
the 1973 “energy crisis” and the
world economic slump, people have
become more aware of the
importance of their power and fuel
supplied.

The

Philippines energy needs are
supplied by
1. Oil
2. hydroelectric power
3. bagasse (sugar cane wastes);
4. geothermal energy
5. coal and;
6. new sources of energy , like solar
power biogas, agro-forestry
wastes, natural gas, alcogas and
wood.

 The

Oil and Gas Discovery in Palawan.
 In 2001, the discovery of more oil and
gas in Malampaya, Palawan, caused great
excitement. The delivery of oil and
natural gas from this Field offers great
economic improvement.
 The Palawan find is the biggest oil and
gas field in the country. It also deepest
well in the world , going 3,000 meters
above sea level.



The first evidence of the systematic use of Stone-Age
technologies in the Philippines is estimated to have
dated back to about 50,000 BC, and this phase in the
development of proto-Philippine societies is considered
to end with the rise of metal tools in about 500
BC, although stone tools continued to be used past that
date. Filipino Anthropologist F. Landa Jocano refers to
the earliest noticeable stage in the development of
proto-Philippine societies as the Formative Phase. He
also identified stone tool and ceramics making as the
two core industries that defined the economic activity of
the time, and which shaped the means by which early
Filipinos adapted to their environment during this period.



About 30,000 BC, the Negritos, who became the
ancestors of today's Aetas, or Aboriginal
Filipinos, descended from more northerly abodes in
Central Asia passing through the Indian
Subcontinent and reaching the Andamanese
Islands. From thereon, the Negritos continued to
venture on land bridges reachingSoutheast Asia.



While some of the Negritos settled in
Malaysia, becoming what is now the Orang
Asli people, several Negrito tribes continued on to
the Philippines through Borneo. No evidence has
survived which would indicate details of Ancient
Filipino life such as their crops, color, and
architecture.



The earliest human remains known in the
Philippines are the fossilized remains discovered in
2007 by Armand Salvador Mijares in Callao
Cave, Cagayan,Philippines. A 67,000 years old
remains that predates Tabon Man. Specifically, the
find consisted of a single 61
milimeter metatarsal which, when dated
using uranium series ablation, was found to be at
least about 67,000 years old. If definitively proven
to be remains of Homo sapiens, it would antedate
the 47,000 year old remains of Tabon Man to
become the earliest human remains known in the
Philippines, and one of the oldest human remains in
the Asia Pacific.



A fossilized fragments of a skull and jawbone of
three individuals, discovered on May 28, 1962 by
Dr. Robert B. Fox, an American anthropologist of
the National Museum. These fragments are
collectively called "Tabon Man" after the place
where they were found on the west coast
of Palawan. Tabon Cave appears to be a kind
of Stone Age factory, with both finished stone flake
tools and waste core flakes having been found at
four separate levels in the main chamber. Charcoal
left from three assemblages of cooking fires there
has been Carbon-14 dated to roughly
7,000, 20,000, and 22,000 BCE.

The

Tabon man fossils are
considered to have come from a
third group of inhabitants, who
worked the cave between 22,000
and 20,000 BCE. An earlier cave
level lies so far below the level
containing cooking fire
assemblages that it must
represent Upper Pleistocene dates
like 45 or 50 thousand years ago.



There have been several models of early human
migration to the Philippines. Since H. Otley Beyer
first proposed his wave migration theory, numerous
scholars have approached the question of
how, when and why humans first came to the
Philippines. The question of whether the first
humans arrived from the south
(Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei as suggested by
Beyer) or from the north (via Taiwan as suggested
by the Austronesian theory) has been a subject of
heated debate for decades. As new discoveries
come to light, past hypotheses are reevaluated and
new theories constructed

According

to Dr. Beyer, the ancestors
of the Filipinos came to the islands
first via land bridges which would
occur during times when the sea level
was low, and then later in seagoing
vessels such as the balangay. Thus he
differentiated these ancestors as
arriving in different "waves of
migration", as follows:

"Dawn Man", a cave-man type who was similar
to Java man, Peking Man, and other Asian homo
sapiens of 250,000 years ago.
 The aboriginal pygmy group, the Negritos, who
arrived between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago.
 The sea-faring tool-using Indonesian group who
arrived about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago and were
the first immigrants to reach the Philippines by sea.
 The seafaring, more civilized Malays who brought
the Iron age culture and were the real colonizers
and dominant cultural group in the pre-Hispanic
Philippines.


BELLWOOD'S AUSTRONESIAN DIFFUSION
THEORY



This model suggests that Between 4500 BCE and
4000 BCE, developments in agricultural technology
in the Yunnan Plateau in Chinacreated pressures
which drove certain peoples to migrate to Taiwan.
These people either already had or began to
develop a unique language of their own, now
referred to as Proto-Austronesian.
By around 3000 BCE, these groups started
differentiating into three or four distinct
subcultures, and by 2500 to 1500 BC, one of these
groups began migrating southwards towards the
Philippines and Indonesia, reaching as far
as Borneo and the Moluccas by 1500 BCE, forming
new cultural groupings and developing unique
languages.



By 1500 BC, some of these groups started
migrating west, reaching as far
as Madagascar around the first millennium CE.
Others migrated east, settling as far as Easter
Island by the mid-13th century CE, giving the
Austronesian language group the distinction of
being the most widely distributed language groups
in the world at that time, in terms of the
geographical span of the homelands of its
languages.



According to this theory, the peoples of the
Philippines are the descendants of those cultures
who remained on the Philippine islands when
others moved first southwards, then eastward and
westward.

Another alternative model is that asserted by
anthropologist F. Landa Jocano of the University of
the Philippines, who in 2001 contended that the
existing fossil evidence of ancient humans
demonstrates that they not only migrated to the
Philippines, but also to New
Guinea, Borneo, and Australia.
 Another alternative model is that asserted by
anthropologist F. Landa Jocano of the University of
the Philippines, who in 2001 contended that the
existing fossil evidence of ancient humans
demonstrates that they not only migrated to the
Philippines, but also to New
Guinea, Borneo, and Australia.




In reference to Beyer's wave
model, he points out that there is no
definitive way to determine the "race" of the
human fossils; the only certain thing is that
the discovery of Tabon Man proves that the
Philippines was inhabited as early as
21,000 or 22,000 years ago. If this is
true, the first inhabitants of the Philippines
would not have come from the Malay
Peninsula. Instead, Jocano postulates that
the present Filipinos are products of the
long process of evolution and movement of
people..

 He

also adds that this is also true of
Indonesians and Malaysians, with
none among the three peoples being
the dominant carrier of culture. In
fact, he suggests that the ancient
humans who populated Southeast
Asia cannot be categorized under any
of these three groups. He thus further
suggests that it is not correct to
consider Filipino culture as being
Malayan in orientation

Origin and geography of the philippines

Origin and geography of the philippines

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