Philippines
13 00 N, 122 00 E
lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m
0 km
astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis
timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 16.67%
other: 64.33% (2005)
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
Tropical climate tempered by constant sea breezes. There are three distinct seasons: the rainy season (June to September), cool and dry (October to February), and hot and mainly dry (March to May). Evenings are cooler. Typhoons occasionally occur from June to September.
Required clothing
Lightweight cottons and linens are worn throughout most of the year, with warmer clothes useful on cooler evenings. Rainwear or umbrellas are advisable for the rainy season.
time difference: UTC+8
