The physical environment of the Philippines discusses about the Philippines' exact location in the map by grid, by bisinal and by insular, its size and shape, its national territory, the land forms and water forms that can be found in the Philippines , climate as well as its natural resources.

2. By Grid
Based on the
grid, longitude
and latitude
Lies on 4° 23”
and 21° 25”
North latitude
and 116° and
127° East
longitude

3. By Insular
Based on the
bodies of water
North – Bashi Channel
South – Celebes Sea
East – Pacific Ocean
West - South China
Sea

4. By Bisinal
Based on the
neighboring
countries
North – Taiwan
South – Malaysia
East – Palao
Island
West - Vietnam

5. 1. It is the only Christian nation in the
non-Christian Asian world.
2. It is the melting pot of races and
culture, with a unique heritage from
Asia, Europe, Latin America and
North America.
3. It is the bridge that links the
Oriental and Occidental Worlds.

6. 4. It is the crossroads of Asia’s air
and sea routes.
5. It is the bastion of democracy in
Asia where most countries are
kingdoms, military dictatorships or
one-party governments.

7.  7, 107 islands
 2, 773 have names and 1, 190 are
inhabited
 Total land Area: 115, 707 square miles
or 299, 681 square kilometers

8. In terms of land area:
oPhilippines is almost as large as Italy;

9. olarger than New Zealand;

10. otwice as big as Greece;

11. oand very much larger than Britain.

12. LUZON
largest island in
the Philippines
(40, 814 sq.miles)
bigger than
Hungary or Portugal

13. MINDANAO
second largest island
in the Philippines
(36, 906 sq.miles)
bigger than Austria

14. VISAYAS
(56, 606 sq.km)

15.  Northernmost point of the Philippines:
Y’Ami Isle (78 miles from Taiwan)
 Southernmost point: Saluag Isle (only 34
miles east of Borneo)
 On a clear sunny day, Taiwan is visible
from Y’Ami, and Borneo visible from
Saluag Isle.

16.  The shape of the Philippines is
elongated.
 Advantages:
oexistence of good fishing grounds,
ports, and fair weather because of the
winds coming from the islands and the
seas

17.  Disadvantages:
oit is difficult to have a continuous
system of transportation of highways
and railways
oeconomic development is hindered by
the lack of an effective system of
transportation

18. Since 1956, the Philippines seas
declared an archipelago principle of
internal waters, meaning that the
islands, waters and other natural
features of the country are to be
regarded as a single geographical,
economic and political unit.

19. Subsequently, the archipelago principle
was established in our national
legislation, most recently in Article 1
of the 1986 Constitution. Through the
United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS), which was
signed by 117 states in Jamaica, on
December 10, 1982, the Philippine
Delegation won recognition for the
archipelago principle for all nations.

20. The archipelago principle is a
distinct contribution of the Philippines
to international law. By this legal
principle, we have secured sovereign
title over all our archipelagic waters,
the air space above them, the seabed
and subsoil below them, and the
resources contained therein.

21. The 1982 UNCLOS Treaty also
designated a new concept of the
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), or a
200-mile belt of water around our
archipelago (subject to agreement with
neighboring countries whose Zones
cross our own). Within this EEZ, the
Philippines has the sovereign right to
explore, exploit, conserve and manage
the natural resources of the ocean, the
seabed and the subsoil.

22. The following table includes new
geographical data on Philippine
territory:
Land Area . . . . . . . . . . . . .111, 707 sq. miles
Total Area with UNCLOS Treaty . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 520, 707 sq. nautical miles
Total Area under Economic Zone of 200
miles from baselines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625, 800 sq. nautical miles

23. NATIONAL TERRITORY

24.  Tropical and monsoonal in character
 Two distinct seasons: dry and wet
season
 Dry season (lasts from March to
June)
 Wet season (July to October)

25.  The intervening months of the year –
November to February are neither too
dry nor too wet. It is the Philippine
springtime, a delightful season of the
year.

26.  Coolest month – January (with an
average temperature of 25.5 ° C
 Hottest month – May (with an average
temperature of 28.3 ° C
 But in many cases, temperature during
summer is higher than this, that is
why extreme heat is widely felt.
 Humidity – this refers to the
moisture content of the atmosphere.

27.  It is said that the humidity of the
Philippines is high because of the high
temperature and also because of the
surrounding seas.
 The average humidity of the
Philippines in a month is from 71%
every March to 85% in September.
 There is abundant sunshine all year
round, so flowers of all kinds bloom
every day.

28.  The Philippines holds the world’s
record for the heaviest 24-hour
rainfall of 979.4 mm. which occurred
in Manila on October 17, 1967.
 There is also plenty of rain.

29. A.Cape/Headland/Pen
insula
B.Mountain Range
C.Mountain
D.Volcano
E. Valley

30. F.Plateau
G.Hills
H.Plains
I. Wetland

31. CAPE/HEADLAND/PENINSULA
 A cape is a pointed pieces of land that
extends out into a sea, ocean, lake, or
river.
 A headland is a type of peninsula. It is
a point of land, usually high, that
extends out into a body of water and
thus has water on three sides.
 A peninsula is a piece of land that is
surrounded by water but connected to
mainland via an isthmus.

32. EXAMPLES
1. Cape San Agustin (Davao Oriental)
2. Cape Bolinao (Bolinao province of
Pangasinan)
3. Bataan Peninsula (rocky extension
of the Zambales Mountains)
4. Bicol Peninsula (part of Bicol
Region)
5. Caramoan Peninsula (north-east
Camarines Sur, Bicol)

33. 8. Bondoc Peninsula (CALABARZON
Region)
9. San Ildefonso Peninsula
(Central Luzon)
10.Tinaca Point (southern Davao del
Sur)
11.Zamboanga Peninsula
(Zamboanga)

34. MOUNTAIN RANGE
 a chain of mountains bordered by
highlands or separated from other
mountains by passes or valleys

35. EXAMPLES
1. Caraballo Mountains (bet.
Cordillera Central and Sierra Madre)
2. Cordillera Central (northern Luzon)
3. Kalatungan Mountain Range
(Bukidnon)
4. Kitanglad Mountain Range
(Bukidnon)
5. Sierra Madre (starts in Cagayan &
ends in Quezon)

36. MOUNTAIN
 a large landform that stretches above
the surrounding land in a limited area
usually in the form of a peak

37. EXAMPLES
1. Mount Agad-Agad (Iligan City)
2. Batorampon Point (Zamboanga
City)
3. Mount Samat (Bataan)
4. Mount Guiting-Guiting (Sibuyan
Island)
5. Mount Mantalingahan (Palawan)
6. Mount Hamiguitan (Davao
Oriental)

38. 7. Mount Kabuyao (Benguet)
8. Mount Lantoy (Cebu)
9. Mount Mirador (Quezon Province)
10.Mount Dulang-Dulang
(Bukidnon)
11.Mount Victoria (Palawan)
12.Mount Nailog (Sibuyan Island)
13.Mount Pangasugan (Leyte)

39. 14.Mount Pulag (or sometimes
Mount Pulog) (bet. Benguet, Ifugao
& Nueva Vizcaya)
15.Sleeping Beauty (Kalinga)
16.Mount Sumagaya (Mindanao)
17.Thumb Peak (Palawan)
18.Mount Halcon (Oriental Mindoro)

40. VOLCANO
 an opening, or rupture, in a planet’s
surface or crust, which allows hot
magma, ash and gases to escape from
below the surface

41. EXAMPLES
1. Mount Isarog (Camarines Sur)
2. Mount Apo (bet. Davao del Sur &
North Cotabato)
3. Mount Arayat (Pampanga)
4. Babuyan Claro (Babuyan Islands)
5. Balatukan (Mindanao)
6. Mount Bulusan (Sorsogon)
7. Biliran (central Philippines)

42. 8. Balut Sarangani (Davao del Sur)
9. Mount Banahaw (boundary of
Laguna and Quezon)
10.Cagua Volcano (Cagayan)
11.Camiguin de Babuyanes
(Calayan Island)
12.Binubulauan (Kalinga)
13.Bud Dajo (Phil.Island of Jolo)

43. 15.Cuernos de Negros (Negros
Oriental)
16.Didicas Volcano (Babuyan Islands)
17.Mount Hibok-Hibok (Camiguin
Island)
18.Iraya (Batanes)
19.Mount Iriga (Camarines Sur)

44. 22.Kanla-on (Negros Island)
23.Laguna Caldera (southeast of
Manila)
24.Leonard Kniazeff (Compostela
Valley, Davao del Norte)
25.Mount Matutum (South Cotabato)
26.Makaturing (Lanao del Sur)
27.Mayon Volcano (Albay)
28.Mount Parker (South Cotabato)

45. 29.Mount Pinatubo (borders of
Zambales, Tarlac & Pampanga)
30.Taal Volcano (Batangas)
31.Mount Ragang (boundary of Lanao
del Sur & Cotabato)
32.Mount Kitanglad (Bukidnon)
33.Mount Labo (Camarines Norte)
34.Mount Makiling (Laguna)

46. VALLEY
 a depression with predominant extent
in one direction
 the terms U-shaped and V-shaped are
descriptive terms of geography to
characterize the form of valleys

47. EXAMPLES
1. Alah Valley (South Cotabato)
2. Valley Fault System (formerly
Marikina Valley Fault System)
(extends from San Mateo, Rizal to Taguig
City on the south; running through the
cities of Makati, Marikina, Parañaque,
Pasig & Taguig)
3. Compostela Valley (Davao Region)
4. Cagayan Valley (also Region II)
5. Cotabato Valley (valley of the Rio
Grande de Mindanao)

48. PLATEAU
 an area of highland, usually consisting
of relatively flat terrain

49. EXAMPLES
1. Cabadiangan Plateau (Negros
Occidental)
2. First Plateau (Tagaytay)
3. Malandag Plateau (South Cotabato)
4. Tablas Plateau (Negros Occidental)
5. Tabuk Plateau (Kalinga-Apayao)
6. Tanauar Plateau (Olongapo)
7. Benguet
8. Bukidnon

50. HILLS
 a landform that extends above the
surrounding terrain
 In areas with scarp/dip topography, a
hill may refer to a particular section of
flat terrain without a massive summit.

51. EXAMPLES
1. Himontagon Hills (Loay, Bohol)
2. Chocolate Hills (Tagbilaran,
Bohol)

52. PLAINS
 consist of vast, flat lands that usually
have various grasses growing on them

53. EXAMPLES
1. Central Luzon Plains (Provinces:
Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija,
Pampanga, Tarlac, & Zambales)
2. Manila-CALABARZON Plains
3. Catbalogan Plains (Western
Samar, Visayas)

54. WETLAND
 an area of land which soil is saturated
with moisture either permanently or
seasonally

55. EXAMPLES
1. Agusan Marsh Wildlife
Sanctuary (Agusan River)
2. Olango Island Wildlife
Sanctuary (Central Visayas)
3. Naujan Lake National Park
(Oriental Mindoro)
4. Tubbataha Reefs National
Marine Park (Sulu Sea)

56. also known as
Mount Mayon
an active
stratovolcano
in the province
of Albay, in
the Bicol
Region

57. located in
the Mountain
Province of
Luzon
found in the
Cordillera
region

58. are an unusual
geological
formation
located in
Tagbilaran,
Bohol,
Philippines

59. refers to a
cluster of more
than one
hundred islands;
124 at low tide
and 123 during
high tide
can be found
in Pangasinan

60. known as the
"Cradle of
Philippine
Civilization“
There are about
1,768 islands
included in this
province,
attracting both
local and foreign
visitors.

61. a simple
unknown island of
white sand
beaches
located in
Aklan, Philippines

62. will always be
one of the most
famous islands of
the Philippines
because this was
the fortress of
the joint allied
forces of Word
War II

63. provides the
country’s top
agricultural crops
ranging from
rice, corn,
sugarcane,
banana, coconut
and tobacco

64. can be found in
Mountain province
known as the
Salad Bowl of
the Philippines
Its vast lands
and fertile soil
produces the
freshest farm
grown fruits and
vegetables.

65. longest mountain
range in the
country (about 210
mi)
runs the north-
eastern coast of
Luzon island
starts in the
province of Cagayan
in the north and
ends in Quezon in
the south, just east
of Laguna de Bay

66. volcanic mountain
located between
the provinces of
Davao del Sur and
North Cotabato in
Mindanao
tallest mountain
in the Philippines

67. an active volcano
on the island of
Luzon in the
Philippines
located in Talisay
and San Nicolas in
Batangas

68. largest plain in the
country
produces most of
the country’s rice
supply
“Rice Bowl of the
Philippines”
Its provinces are:
Aurora, Bataan,
Bulacan, Nueva Ecija,
Pampanga, Tarlac,
and Zambales

69. A.Channel
B.Strait
C.Sea
D. Bay

70. G.Lake
H.River
I. Waterfall
J.Gulf

71. CHANNEL
 is the physical confine of a river, slough
or ocean strait consisting of a bed and
banks

72. EXAMPLES
1. Babuyan Channel (can be seen
in the Luzon Strait in the part of
Batan Island and Balintang Channel)
2. Balintang Channel (separates
the Batanes and Babuyan Islands)
3. Bashi Channel (strait bet. the
Y’Ami Island of the Phils. & Orchid
Island of Taiwan)

73. 4. Canigao Channel (connects the
Bohol Sea with the Camotes Sea) (It
lies bet. Bohol & Leyte.)
5. Hilutangan Channel
(separates Mactan Island from Olango
Island)
6. Jintotolo Channel (connects
the Sibuyan Sea with the Visayan Sea)
(located bet. Panay and Masbate)

74. STRAIT
 is a narrow, navigable channel of water
that connects two larger navigable
bodies of water
 most commonly refers to a channel of
water that lies between two land
masses
 may also refer to a navigable channel
through a body of water that is
otherwise not navigable

75. EXAMPLES
1. Balabac Strait (separates the
Balabac island (Palawan province), from
the islands north of Borneo, Malaysia)
2. Cebu Strait (sometimes called Bohol
Strait) (separates the island provinces of
Cebu and Bohol) (connects the western
part of Bohol Sea with Camotes Sea)
3. Luzon Strait (connects the Philippine
Sea, in the Western Pacific, to the South
China Sea, bet. Taiwan and Luzon)

76. 4. Mindoro Strait (separates Mindoro
island from Busuanga island of Palawan)
5. San Bernardino Strait (separates
the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon from the
island of Samar in the south)
6. San Juanico Strait (separates the
islands of Samar and Leyte)

77. 7. Surigao Strait (connects the Bohol
Sea with Leyte Gulf)
8. Tablas Strait (separates the Mindoro
and Panay islands)
9. Tañon Strait (connects the Visayan
Sea to the Bohol Sea)

78. SEA
 generally refers to a large body of salt
water
 refers to a large expanse of saline
water connected with an ocean
 commonly used as a synonym for ocean
 also used sometimes to describe a large
saline lake that lacks a natural outlet

79. EXAMPLES
1. Bohol Sea (also called the Mindanao
Sea) (lies south of Bohol and Leyte and
north of Mindanao)
2. Camotes Sea (bordered by the
islands of Leyte to the noth and east,
Bohol to the south, and Cebu to the west)

80. 3. Celebes Sea (bordered on the
north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu
Sea and Mindanao Island, on the east by
the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south
by Sulawesi, and on the west by
Kalimantan in Indonesia)
4. Philippine Sea (part of the
western Pacific Ocean) (bordered by the
Philippines and Taiwan to the west,
Japan to the north, the Marianas to the
east and Palau to the south)

81. 5. Samar Sea (between the Eastern
Visayas and Luzon)
6. Sibuyan Sea (bounded by the island
of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the
west, and to the north the Bicol
Peninsula of Luzon island)

82. 7. Sulu Sea (separated from the
South China Sea in the northwest by
Palawan, and from the Celebes Sea in
the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago)
(Borneo is found to the southwest and
Visayas to the northeast.)

83. BAY
 an area of water mostly surrounded or
otherwise demarcated by land
 generally have calmer waters than the
surrounding sea, due to the surrounding
land blocking some waves and often
reducing winds
 can also be an inlet in a lake or pond

84. EXAMPLES
1. Baler Bay (northeastern part of Luzon
island)
2. Batangas Bay (Batangas City, the
capital of Batangas Province is located on
the coast of the bay.)
3. Manila Bay (Luzon)
4. Ormoc Bay (Leyte)
5. Subic Bay (west coast of the island of
Luzon)

85. LAKE
 a body of liquid on the surface of a
world that is localized to the bottom of
basin
 a body of fresh or salt water of
considerable size that is surrounded by
land

86. EXAMPLES
1. Balukbaluk Lake (Basilan)
2. Lake Buhi (Buhi, Camarines Sur)
3. Bulusan Lake (Bulusan, Sorsogon)
4. Dagianan (Lanao del Norte)
5. Laguna de Bay (located in the island
of Luzon bet. the provinces of Laguna to
the south and Rizal to the north)

87. 6. Lake Danao (located in Camotes
Island in Cebu City)
7. Lake Maragang (Zamboanga del
Sur)
8. Lake Nabua (Camarines Sur)
9. Lake Panamao (Jolo, Sulu,
Mindanao)
10.Lake Paoay (Ilocos Norte)

88. RIVER
 a natural watercourse, usually
freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a
lake, a sea, or another river

89. EXAMPLES
1. Abra River (Abra)
2. Agno River (Pangasinan)
3. Agusan River (third largest river
basin of the Phils. located in the
eastern part of Mindanao island)
4. Akean River (Panay)
5. Bulacan (is a river of the Phils. It
flows to Manila Bay.)

90. 6. Cagayan River (Cagayan Valley
Region)
7. Davao River (Mindanao)
8. Iloilo River (longest river in Iloilo)
9. Pasig River (Luzon)
10.Marikina River (main river
system in Eastern Metro Manila)

91. WATERFALL
 a place where flowing water rapidly
drops in elevation as it flows over a
steep region or a cliff

92. EXAMPLES
1. Maria Cristina Falls (2nd highest
falls in the Phils.) (found in Iligan City)
2. Pagsanjan Falls (Cavinti, Laguna)
3. Tinago Falls (Iligan City, Lanao del
Norte)
4. Tinuy-an Falls (Bislig City, Surigao
del Sur)
5. Limunsudan Falls (Lanao del
Norte)

93. GULF
 a large bay that is an arm of an ocean
or sea

94. EXAMPLES
1. Albay Gulf (southern part of Luzon)
2. Moro Gulf (Mindanao)
3. Panay Gulf (extension of Sulu Sea)
4. Davao Gulf (Mindanao)
5. Ragay Gulf (separated from the
Sibuyan Sea by Bondoc Peninsula in the
west)

95. largest lake in the
Philippines
2nd largest inland
freshwater lake in
Southeast Asia
after Lake Toba in
Sumatra, Indonesia
located between
the provinces of
Laguna to the south
and Rizal to the
north

96. one of the
finest
natural
harbor in
the world
which serves
the port of
Manila

97. freshwater lake
in the province of
Batangas
has an active
volcano in its
center, lies a few
miles to the
southwest of
Laguna de Bay

98. longest and largest
river in Luzon
located in the
Cagayan Valley
region in
northeastern part
of Luzon island
 traverses the
provinces of Nueva
Vizcaya, Quirino,
Isabela and
Cagayan

99. third largest river
basin of the
Philippines
located in the
eastern part of
Mindanao island in
the Philippines
draining majority
of the Caraga
Region and some
parts of Compostela
Valley province

100. second highest falls
in the Philippines
found in Mindanao
and is the landmark
of Iligan City
known as the
“Mother of Industry”
& “Fountainhead of
Progress”
primary source of
electric power for
the whole Mindanao
region

101. indigenous name:
Magdapio Falls
one of the most
famed waterfalls
in the Philippines
its actual
location is not in
Pagsanjan at all
but in the
adjacent town of
Cavinti, Laguna