Before we begin the description of the island of Luzon, let's talk a little about the state of the Philippines. It is located in the southeastern part of Asia. It is a cluster of many islands. Located in the Pacific Ocean between Taiwan and Indonesia. The capital of the Philippines is the city of Manila (location - Luzon Island). The population for 2015 exceeded 102 million people. The state covers an area of about 300 thousand km 2 .
Philippine Archipelago: A Short Description
The Philippine Archipelago includes over 7,000 islands. The largest of them are Luzon, Panay, Negros and others. The archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean. Its length is more than 2,000 km from north to south, and from west to east - a little less than one thousand kilometers. It is conditionally divided into three groups:
- the first, called Luzon, is in the north;
- the second, central, is occupied by the Visayas;
- the third is the southern group - Mindanao.
It is worth noting that not all Philippine islands are inhabited. Of the total, only less than half are populated by people.
The archipelago is washed from all sides by the seas: in the west - South China, in the south - Sulawesi, in the east - Philippine. The coastline has a length of almost 40 thousand km. The total area of the territory amounted to almost 300 thousand km 2 . In the north, the Philippine Islands are adjacent to the Taiwanese. They are separated from each other by the Bashi Strait. The predominant relief is mountains. By origin, basically all the islands are volcanic. Even at present, a zone of high seismic activity is observed here.
Luzon - island of the Philippine archipelago
Luzon Island is the largest. It is part of the Philippine archipelago. Its area is about 110 thousand km 2 . On the southeast side is about. Mindoro. Between themselves they are separated by the Verde Strait. In the southern part of Luzon is the Bicol Peninsula. This land area has an elongated narrow shape. Its coastline is quite rugged. There are many bays and bays. From about. Luzon is cut off by the isthmus of the tayabas. In addition to Bicol, there are two more small peninsulas - Bondok and Karamoan. On the south side of the island of Luzon (Philippines) borders on about. Samar, separating from it by the Strait of San Bernardino.
The title of the largest was assigned to him not only by the size of the occupied territory, but also by the number of population. Luzon is home to over 46 million people. In the world, it is 17th largest.
Geographical position
Luzon Island is located in the Pacific Ocean. Its western and eastern sides are washed by the South China and Philippine Seas. In order to find Luzon on the map, you can use the following coordinates: 16 ° 04′30 ″ north latitude and 121 ° 00′11 ″ east longitude.
The Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan Islands are separated from it by the Luzon Strait. Administratively refers to the state of the Philippines.
Relief
Like many other large islands of the Philippine archipelago, Luzon has a mountainous terrain. On its territory there are a lot of active and extinct volcanoes. The highest point of the island reaches almost 3,000 m. This is Mount Pulog. The remaining relief formations are mainly of medium height.
In the northwestern part of the island is one of the largest mountain systems - Central Cordillera. It occupies one sixth of Luzon (more than 18 thousand km 2 ). This mountainous area is quite well populated. Here lives 2% of the total population of the Philippines. This amounts to more than one million inhabitants.
Sierra Madre is a mountain range located in the eastern part of the largest of the islands of the Philippine archipelago. It is separated from the Cordillera massif by a river valley. Sambales - the lowest mountain formations located closer to the south.
There is a plain on Luzon. It is called the Central Luzon. It is located between the Sambales and Sierra Madre massifs. The plain occupies an area of 11 thousand km 2 . It is in this area that the most fertile lands of the Philippines are located. In the middle of the plain there is another mountain - Arayat.
Inland water resources
The coastline of the island is very rugged. Due to this, there are many bays and bays. Most of them are concentrated in the western and southern sides. Lingen and Manil Bay are considered the largest.
Any area dominated by mountainous terrain has a lot of rivers. Luzon is no exception. Let us dwell on some of them in more detail.
The Pampanga River flows in the province of the same name. Its length is 260 km. It originates in the Sierra Madre mountain range, flows into the Gulf of Manila. A large number of ponds and irrigation canals were built on it.
The Cagayan River is the largest waterway in the Philippine archipelago. Its channel runs along the northeastern part of the island. The length is about 500 km. It originates in the mountains of Caraballo. It falls into the Strait of Babuyan. It is thanks to this river that residents have the opportunity to grow crops. The soil in the valley is very fertile, so rice, bananas, citrus and grain species grow well here.
An equally important waterway is the Pasig River. It is relatively small in size, the bed has a length of only 25 km. However, despite this, it plays an important role for the state, as it passes through the central part of the capital. It originates in the Laguna de Bai. It falls into the Gulf of Manila.
In addition to rivers, there are also lakes on the island. The largest is the Laguna de Bai. Moreover, it is the largest not only on the island, but also throughout Southeast Asia. Its area reaches almost 1,000 km 2 . Another major body of water located in Luzon is Lake Taal. It was formed in the crater of an extinct volcano.
Climatic features
On the island of Luzon typhoons dominate. Within one year, their number can reach 20. The climate is subequatorial monsoon. Separation of seasons here is not the same as on the mainland. Locals divide it into three periods:
- From March to May - summer. At this time, the highest temperatures are observed.
- From June to November, the highest rainfall occurs. This period is called the rainy season.
- The winter months are December, January, and February.
Over 2,000 mm of precipitation falls annually. From May to October, the southwest monsoon blows on the territory of Luzon Island, and from November to April dry air masses prevail. The average annual temperature is + 26 ° .
City Vigan
This city is a landmark of the Philippine Islands. The population here is almost 10,000 people. Wigan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has preserved buildings from the time of Spanish colonization. There are a lot of unique architectural structures. The most impressive is St. Paul's Cathedral. Mena Crizologo Street brought world fame to the city. Currently, it still has buildings of the XVI-XVII centuries.
Pinatubo Volcano
The volcano is currently active. The last time the eruption was recorded 25 years ago. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that for 600 years it was considered extinct. Until 1991, its height was about 1,800 m, but at the moment it has decreased and is almost 1,500 m. The volcano is located near the capital of the Philippines - the city of Manila. This distance is almost 90 km. As a result of his eruption in 1991, nearly 1,000 people died. The US Air Force Base and Naval Base were destroyed. This earthquake was recognized as the most powerful and destructive in the twentieth century. On the Richter scale, it reached 6 points.
Pinsal Waterfalls
Luzon Island can also be proud of one of the most famous attractions - Pinsal Falls. These turbulent water streams are surrounded by many myths and traditions. At their top are several ponds that have the shape of a human foot. According to local legend, lakes formed at a time when the giant Angalo passed in these places.
This place with waterfalls is surrounded by unique picturesque surroundings. The beauty of the cascades is simply enchanting. The waters of the stream fall from a height of 85 feet. Next to them is a source of hot water.