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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
Land boundaries:
0 km
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: 19%
permanent crops: 16.67%
other: 64.33% (2005)
Irrigated land:
15,500 sq km (2003)
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:
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
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