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: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 300,000 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 298,170 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 1,830 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 73
slightly less than twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona
Area comparison map: slightly less than twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
36,289 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
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 as wide as 285 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to the depth of exploitation
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
mean elevation: 442 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m
timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
agricultural land: 41%
arable land 18.2%; permanent crops 17.8%; permanent pasture 5%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 25.9%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 33.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
16,270 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms each year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis
volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Taal (elev. 311 m), which has shown recent unrest and may erupt in the near future, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Mayon (elev. 2,462 m), the country's most active volcano, erupted in 2009 forcing over 33,000 to be evacuated; other historically active volcanoes include Biliran, Babuyan Claro, Bulusan, Camiguin, Camiguin de Babuyanes, Didicas, Iraya, Jolo, Kanlaon, Makaturing, Musuan, Parker, Pinatubo and Ragang
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
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
the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; 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