29 Chapter 3: Geography of the Philippines 3.1 - Introduction 1445 The Philippine archipelago forms a cultural and ecological crossroads, where Malays, Chinese, Spaniards, Americans, and others have blended to create a distinctive cultural and racial blend in a diverse environment. The archipelago consists of 7,100 islands 1450 and occupies an area that stretches for 1,850 kilometers from about the fifth to the twentieth parallels north latitude. Although having a total land area of slightly greater than 300,000 square kilometers only about 1,000 of its islands are populated. Less than one-half of those with permanent residents are larger than 2.5 square kilometers. 1455 Eleven islands make up 94 percent of the Philippine land area. Luzon and Mindanao measuring 105,000 and 95,000 square kilometers, respectively represent nearly two-thirds of that area. They, with the Visayan islands represent the three principal regions of the archipelago. 1460 Topographically, the Philippines has one of the longest coastlines of any nation in the world. The Philippines is part of a western Pacific arc system that is characterized by active volcanoes. Among the most notable peaks are Mount Pinatubo near Angeles 1465 City, Mayon near Legaspi, Taal Volcano just south of Manila, and Mount Apo on Mindanao. The entire country is prone to earthquakes. In northern Luzon the Cordillera rises to between 2,500 and 2,750 meters. In Northeastern Luzon is found the Sierra Madre which along with the mountains of Mindanao, harbor some of the 1470 last remnants of the archipelago’s rich tropical forests and cultural minorities. The rain forests also offer prime habitat for more than 500 species of birds, including the Philippine eagle (or monkey- eating eagle), some 800 species of orchids, and 7,600 species of flowering plants. The Philippines is ranked in the top ten nations for 1475 species biodiversity and these have a high level of endemism. Population growth and habitat destruction pose a serious threat to flora and fauna (Table n° 3.1). “Geography of the Philippines”, Population Dynamics, Land Availability and Adapting Land Tenure Systems : Philippines, a case Study, Office of Population Studies (University of San Carlos), Farm and Agriculture Resource Management Institute and Center for Social Research (Leyte State University), Gultiano S., Balbarino E., Saz E., Urich P. (coord.), Paris, CICRED, FAO, 2003, p. 29-57