Political Geography Chapter 1

The Philippines, a nation made up of many islands, sits in Southeast Asia, north of the equator. It's known for its unique biodiversity and volcanic activity due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The Philippines has a climate suitable for agriculture, lush forests, and abundant marine resources. This is because it's located in the tropics, with warm temperatures and consistent rainfall.

Latitude lines run horizontally around the globe, measuring distances north or south of the Equator. Imagine them like rungs on a ladder.

Longitude lines run vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole, measuring distances east or west of the Prime Meridian. Think of them like slices of an orange.

The Equator is an imaginary line that circles the Earth horizontally, dividing it into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It's like a belt around the Earth.

The Tropic of Cancer is located at 23.5 degrees north of the Equator, marking the northern boundary of the tropical zone. It's similar to the Tropic of Capricorn, just in the opposite hemisphere.

The Prime Meridian is a vertical line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, dividing the Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres. It's like a zero point for measuring time.

The International Date Line marks where the date changes by one day. When you cross it traveling west, you add a day. Traveling east, you subtract a day. Think of it as a magical line where time jumps.

Absolute location uses coordinates, like latitude and longitude, to pinpoint an exact location on the Earth's grid system. Think of it like a street address.

Relative location describes a place's position in relation to other nearby features, like landforms and bodies of water. Think of describing a place by its surroundings.

The Treaty of Paris in 1898 transferred ownership of the Philippines from Spain to the United States, marking a change in control of the archipelago.

The Treaty of Washington in 1900 added Cagayan and Sibutu to the US territory from Spain, expanding the US's control over the Philippines.

The 1930 Boundaries Treaty defined the borders between the US territory (Philippines) and the UK protectorate (North Borneo), separating the two territories.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) defines a country's territorial sea as extending 12 nautical miles from its coastline, allowing foreign ships to pass through but under the country's jurisdiction.

The Archipelagic Doctrine recognizes archipelagic states, like the Philippines, as a single unit, with their surrounding waters considered part of their maritime territory.

The 1935 Philippine Constitution used colonial agreements as the basis for defining territorial limits, reflecting its history. However, later constitutions removed this emphasis.

Republic Act 9522 (2009) established the Philippines' maritime territories, aligning with UNCLOS principles and defining the country's maritime domain.