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Geography
of the Philippines
 A democratic republic located in the Western Pacific Ocean, the Republic of
the Philippines is made up of the Philippine Islands and is the island group at
the northernmost part of the Malay
Archipelago.
The Philippines is situated about 1,210 km (about 750 mi) east of the coast
of Vietnam and is separated in the north from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel.
Bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea (and Pacific Ocean), on the south by the Celebes Sea, and
on the west by the South China Sea, the archipelagic state comprises about 7,100
islands. Resulting from this situation are great variations in climate,
geography and vegetation.
The total area of the Philippines has a total area of about 300,000 sq km
(about 115, 830 sq mi). About 298,170 of the total area is land area with
the remaining 1,830 being the total water area. The capital and largest
city of the Philippines is Manila.
Extending 1,850 km (1,150 mi) from north to south and almost 1,127 km (700
mi) east to west, the Philippine Island group is of volcanic origin and
generally mountainous. Running parallel to the coasts, as well as
bordering them in many places, the mountain ranges extend north to south.
There are about 20 active volcanoes on the islands, and earthquakes are fairly
common.
The larger islands, Luzon and Mindanao, are characterized by high mountains with alluvial plains
and narrow fertile valleys. Unlike the larger islands with their
relatively diverse topography, the smaller islands are mountainous with
surrounding flat lowlands.
Manila Bay
Mount Apo, the Philippines' highest point, reaches 9692 ft (2954 m) and is
found in the southernmost ranges on Mindanao, the second largest Philippine
island.
Considered to be part of the Tropics, the Philippines' mean annual temperature is about 80°F (27°C) with the interior valleys
tending to be a little warmer and the mountain peaks a little cooler than the
mean. The relative humidity averages about 77%.
The rainy season is from May to November, which is the summer
monsoon, while the dry season occurs during the winter monsoon from December to
April. Typically, the weather is cool from November to February, while
it's very hot and dry from March to May. The rainiest times are from June
to October, with typhoons not uncommon during this time.
The average rainfall in the lowlands is about 80 inches a year (2030 mm).
Manila City
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