Philippines Geography:
Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 122 00 E
Map references:
Area:
total:
300,000 sq km
land:
298,170 sq km
water:
1,830 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
total: 0 km
border countries: NA
Coastline:
36,289 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain:
Mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m
Natural resources:
Timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
Land use:
arable land: 18.95%
permanent crops: 16.77%
other: 64.28%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
15,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis
Environment - current issues:
Uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
The Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait |
