ave led to a peace
accord with one group and an ongoing cease-fire and peace talks with
another.

Geography
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

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)

Total renewable water resources:

479 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 28.52 cu km/yr (17%/9%/74%)
per capita: 343 cu m/yr (2000)

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