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
water: 1,830 sq km
land: 298,170 sq km

Area - comparative slightly larger than Arizona

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 36,289 km

Maritime claims
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
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

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%
permanent crops: 15%
other: 67% (1998 est.)

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 in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in Manila; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps which are important fish breeding grounds

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

NOTE: The information regarding Philippines on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Philippines Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Philippines Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.