Famous Volcanoes in the Philippines

Volcanoes in the Philippines

• There are over 50 volcanoes in the country.
• Mt. Mayon in Albay, Bicol, is the most famous and scenic volcano, with a nearly perfect cone shape.
• Mt. Mayon has erupted more than 30 times in recorded history, from 1616 to the present.
• The most destructive eruption of Mt. Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814, killing 1,200 people and burying the town of Casagwa.
• Taal, the smallest and most unusual volcano, surrounded by a lake in Batangas, has erupted more than 20 times.
• The worst volcanic eruption in history occurred at Mt. Pinatubo, Zambales, in June, damaging six provinces in Central Luzon and affecting the climate worldwide.

Physical Environment and Country's History

• The Philippines is blessed with three important aspects: God, People, and Land.
• The country's history is comprised of these three aspects: distributed archipelagos, valleys, and discovery.

Origin of the Philippines' Name

• Early Chinese traders called the Philippines "Ma-yi", meaning "land of gold", due to the gold trade in Mindoro.
• A Greek map maker named Claudius Ptolemy called the islands "Maniolas" in his ancient map.
• Magellan called the Philippines "Archipelago of St. Lazarus" in 1521.
• The name "Felipinas" was given by Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in 1543, in honor of Crown Prince Felipe (Philip) who later became King Philip II of Spain.
• The name "Felipinas" became "Filipinas" during the Spanish colonial era, and later "the Philippine Islands" during the American colonial era.

Nickname of the Philippines

• The most popular nickname for the Philippines is "Pearl of the Orient Sea".
• This name was given by two famous writers, Fr. Juan J. Delgado and Dr. Jose Rizal, our National Hero.

Natural Resources

• The natural resources of a country include soil, plant and animal life, fish and marine resources, minerals, energy sources, and scenic beauty of nature.
• Soil is the country's most important natural resource, as most people earn a living from tilling the land.
• The Philippines has highly fertile soil, with about 75% of the country's arable land of 11 million hectares being eroded.
• The country ranks first in world production of coconuts and hemp products, second in sugar, and fifth in tobacco.

Biodiversity

• The Philippines has the greatest diversity of plant and animal life on earth.
• There are 8,120 species of plants, including 1000 varieties of orchids, species of rice, and 3000 species of trees.
• The "Queen of Philippine Flowers" is the Sampaguita, the national flower.
• About 850 species of birds are found in the country, including the Philippine or Monkey-eating eagle, the world's largest eagle, and the national bird.