Geography and Climate of The Philippines

The Philippines: Location and Geography

• The Philippines is an archipelago located in Southeast Asia, specifically in the western Pacific Ocean between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.
• The country comprises 7,641 islands, according to the Philippine Islands Measurements Project conducted by NAMRIA.
• The islands are mostly mountainous with coastal lowlands varying in size.
• The Philippines is divided into three main geographic areas: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, each encompassing different regions.

Climate, Language, and Demographics

• The Philippines has a tropical marine climate, characterized by a northeast monsoon from November to April and a southwest monsoon from May to October.
• Environmental issues include deforestation, soil and water pollution, and air pollution due to urbanization.
• The official national language is Filipino, while English serves as the official language for government and education.
• Eight major dialects are spoken: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan.
• As of 2017, the population of the Philippines was 104,256,076.
• Life expectancy within the country is 67.6 years (CIA, 2017).
• The religious makeup of the Philippines as per a 2000 census is: Catholic (82.9%), Muslim (5%), Evangelical (2.8%), Iglesia ni Kristo (2.3%), other Christian (4.5%), other (1.8%), unspecified (0.6%), none (0.1%).

Understanding Disasters

• A disaster is characterized as a serious disruption impacting a community or society, resulting in widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses exceeding the affected community's coping capacity.
• Disasters are classified as follows:
  • Rapid Onset Disasters arise suddenly (e.g., earthquakes, cyclones, landslides, floods).
  • Slow Onset Disasters develop over a prolonged period, often months or years (e.g., droughts).

Disaster Types

• Natural Disasters are major adverse events caused by natural processes (e.g., floods, hurricanes, typhoons). They are further categorized as:
  • Geophysical: originate from the solid Earth (e.g., earthquakes, volcanic activity).
  • Meteorological: caused by short-lived weather conditions (e.g., storms, extreme temperatures, fog).
  • Hydrological: related to the movement and distribution of water (e.g., floods, landslides, wave action).
  • Climatological: long-lived atmospheric processes (e.g., drought, glacial lake outbursts, wildfire).
  • Biological: exposure to living organisms or their toxins (e.g., venomous wildlife, insects, poisonous plants, vector-borne diseases).
  • Extraterrestrial: originate beyond Earth (e.g., asteroid impacts, space weather).
• Man-made Disasters are human-induced events (e.g., chemical spills, workplace fires, terrorist attacks).

The Philippines' Disaster Risk Profile

• The Philippines is exposed to various natural hazards, with varying degrees of frequency:
  • Earthquakes: Highest exposure
  • Volcanic Eruptions: High exposure
  • Landslides: High exposure
  • Floods: High exposure
  • Typhoons: Lowest exposure
• The Philippines is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
• The country is vulnerable to tropical storms, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and droughts.
• Notable terrorist groups active in the Philippines include the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), New People’s Army (NPA), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and the Maute Group.
• Recent terrorist attacks include the Zamboanga Siege in 2013, resulting in 200 deaths, and the attack on Marawi in 2017.

Top 10 Natural Disasters in the Philippines (Last 100 Years)

• 1. Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) (November 2013): The strongest typhoon to make landfall, causing 7,986 deaths and affecting 16.11 million people.
• 2. Typhoon Bopha (December 3, 2012): Devastated Mindanao, resulting in 1,900 deaths or missing persons.
• 3. Typhoon Washi (December 16, 2011): Hit northern Mindanao, causing at least 1,080 deaths.
• 4. Guinsaugon Landslide (February 17, 2006): A mountainside collapsed in Leyte, killing 1,126 people.
• 5. Tropical Storm Thelma (November 15, 1991): Caused flash floods in Ormoc, Leyte, killing over 5,100 people.
• 6. 1990 Baguio Earthquake (July 16, 1990): A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Baguio City and northern Luzon, killing 1,621 people.
• 7. Typhoon Ike (August 31, 1984): Hit central Philippines, killing 1,363 people.
• 8. 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami (August 16, 1976): A tsunami triggered by an earthquake devastated the Moro Gulf in Mindanao, killing between 5,000 and 8,000 people.
• 9. Typhoon Trix (October 16, 1952): Caused floods and landslides in Bicol, Luzon, killing 995 people.
• 10. Taal Volcano Eruption (January 30, 1911): Taal Volcano erupted, killing about 1,300 people in nearby villages.

Explore the unique geography and climate of the Philippines in this quiz. Discover the archipelago of 7,641 islands and learn about its tropical marine climate and environmental challenges. Test your knowledge on the region's demographics, languages, and geographic divisions of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.