Philippines Geography PDF

LESSON 1:  an area which belongs to a person, organization, 1 territory institution, animal, nation or state. a set of rules that guides how a country, 2 Constitution state, or other political organization works. 3 politics activities associa...

LESSON 1:  an area which belongs to a person, organization, 1 territory institution, animal, nation or state. a set of rules that guides how a country, 2 Constitution state, or other political organization works. 3 politics activities associated with the governance of a country or other area To find the location of the Philippines on a map or the globe, let us take a quick review about the imaginary lines found in the globe. horizontal lines that measure the distance of a place north or south of the Equator vertical lines that measure the distance of a place west or east of the Prime Meridian (0 degree longitude) divides the globe into the northern and southern hemisphere The Tropic of Cancer, also called the Northern Tropic, is the latitude line that is 23 degrees above the equator (the line that runs through the middle of the Earth). The weather at the Tropic of Cancer is generally hot and dry. The Tropic of Capricorn, also called the Southern Tropic, is the latitude line that is 23 degrees below the equator. The Antarctic Circle (Kabilugang Antarktiko) is a line of latitude located at the bottom of the globe. It’s on the opposite side of the Arctic Circle (Kabilugang Arktiko). The International Date Line (IDL), also known as just the Date Line, is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, going from north to south in the Pacific Ocean. The date becomes one day later as one travels across it in western direction, and one day earlier as one travels across it in eastern direction. The prime meridian is the imaginary line that divides Earth into two equal parts: the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. The prime meridian is also used as the basis for the world’s time zones. What are the imaginary lines in the globe? What is the importance of the imaginary lines on the globe? ABSOLUTE LOCATION. It is measured using the longitude and latitude lines or the grid system. RELATIVE LOCATION. The location of a place is determined based on the land (vicinal location) and water forms (insular or maritime location) that surround it.  ACCORDING TO HISTORY The boundaries and territory of the Philippines were drawn according to the colonial agreements that set the land forms, water forms, and people that make up the archipelago. TREATY OF PARIS OF 1898. It states that the Philippine archipelago is made up of islands bounded by a line (red label) and the rights were turned over from Spain to US. TREATY OF WASHINGTON OF 1900 (CESSION TREATY). Cagayan and Sibutu, both part of the Sulu Archipelago, were included in the territory turned over by Spain to the US. BOUNDARIES TREATY OF 1930. It was an agreement between US and UK that specified the boundaries of North Borneo (a protectorate of Britain), and the Philippines (US territory).  ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS According to the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea (UNCLOS) Law, the territorial sea can be defined as the area which extends up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a country's coastal state. The territorial sea is under the jurisdiction of that particular country; however, foreign ships (both merchant and military) ships are allowed passage through it. An important provision of the UNCLOS is the Archipelagic Doctrine, stating that the archipelagic states like Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, New Guinea, and the Bahamas, are considered a single unit so that the waters surrounding, between, and connecting its islands to one another, regardless of distance and space, shall form part of the maritime property of the state, to include exclusive ownership and rights over them.  ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION It was clearly stated in the 1935 Philippine Constitution that the provisions of the Philippine Treaty Limits resulted from colonial agreements [see pages 17-18 in your ebook]. On the other hand, there was no mention in the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions that the colonial agreements were used as bases for determining a country’s territory.  ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION However, according to the 1987 Constitution, the historical references and colonial agreements were taken out as bases for determining the boundaries and territory of the Philippines. Republic Act 9522 or the Philippine Archipelagic Baseline Law signed on March 10, 2009, establishes the maritime territory of the Philippines in accordance with the UNCLOS. Let us take a short glimpse of the following facts. The Philippines is located in Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia. The Philippines is located north of the equator. The Philippines is an archipelago. The Philippines is found in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The country is ideal for agriculture. Because the Philippines is located north of the equator, it has a tropical climate. It is also why it has lush forests that are home to endemic plants and animals. The country is rich in marine resources. Because the Philippines is a part of the Coral Triangle, together with Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste, is rich in resources and make fishing as an important source of livelihood. Being in Southeast Asia, the country is viewed as an important player in the area of politics (as a strategic naval base) and a center of trade in the region. The Philippines also lies in the primary trade route in the US and Asia. Because of the country’s shape and islands, setting up efficient and effective communication and transportation hinders its economic progress. There are also problems in the implementation of laws and regulations particularly in remote areas, and ensuring the security of its extensive waters and waterways. Being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the country is vulnerable to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The Philippines, located in the west of the Pacific Ocean, lies along the Typhoon Belt. Around 20 typhoons enter the country every year.