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Tabular Data - Geography of Philippines
| Location : |
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
13 00 N, 122 00 E |
| Map References : |
Southeast Asia |
| Area : |
total: 300,000 sq km
land: 298,170 sq km
water: 1,830 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly larger than Arizona |
| Coastline : |
36,289 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
| Climate : |
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October) |
| Terrain : |
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m |
| Natural Resources : |
timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 18.95%
permanent crops: 16.77%
other: 64.28% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
15,500 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| Geography - Note : |
Favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait. |
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