| Location: |
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam
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| Geographic coordinates: |
13 00 N, 122 00 E
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| Map references: |
Southeast Asia
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| Area: |
total:
300,000 sq km
land:
298,170 sq km
water:
1,830 sq km
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| Area - comparative: |
slightly larger than Arizona
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| Maritime claims: |
continental shelf:
to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
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
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| Climate: |
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
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| Terrain: |
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Philippine Sea 0 m
highest point:
Mount Apo 2,954 m
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| Natural resources: |
timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
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| Land use: |
arable land:
19%
permanent crops:
12%
permanent pastures:
4%
forests and woodland:
46%
other:
19% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
15,800 sq km (1993 est.)
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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