Geography of the Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 km². The 11 largest islands contain 94% of the total land area. The largest of these islands is Luzon at about 105,000 km². The next largest island is Mindanao at about 95,000 km². The archipelago is around 800 km from the Asian mainland and is located between Taiwan and Borneo.

The islands are divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Luzon islands include Luzon itself, Palawan, Mindoro, Marinduque, Masbate and Batanes Islands. The Visayas is the group of islands in the central Philippines, the largest of which are: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Samar. The Mindanao islands include Mindanao itself, plus the Sulu Archipelago, composed primarily of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

	Geography of the Philippines
	Continent	Asia
	Region	Southeast Asia
	Coordinates	13°00'N 122°00'E
	Area	Ranked 72nd 300,000 km2 (115,830.6 sq mi) 99.38% land 0.62 % water
	Borders	None
	Highest point	Mount Apo 2,954 m (9,691 ft)
	Lowest point	Philippine Sea 0 m/0 ft (sea level)
	Longest river	Cagayan River
	Largest lake	Laguna de Bay

Rice Terraces

The Rice Terraces of Banaue are perhaps the most well know attraction in the Philippines, and no list of the Seven Wonders of the Philippines would be complete without them.. Located in central Luzon, they have been carved by local Ifugao people over the last 3,000 thousand years. When you visit, you can see terraces still being built today. The locals often describe the terraces as the largest man made structure created without forced labor. If each terrace were laid end to end, they would stretch almost 14,000 miles. They were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 and placed on the endangered list in 2001

The Chocolate Hills

The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in Bohol, Philippines. It is composed of around 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills of about the same size, spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi). They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills is a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. It is featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attraction in the province. It is in the Philippine Tourism Authority’s list of tourist destinations in the Philippines; it has been declared the country’s 3rd National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

10 Great Natural Landmarks In Asia » Tubbataha Reef, Sulu Sea In Philippines

The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park is included in the natural wonders of the World Heritage List and is a contender for the New 7 Wonders of Nature

Underground River a ‘7 Wonders’ finalist

Underground River a ‘7 Wonders’ finalist

Puerto Princesa’s Underground River will go head-to-head with the Grand Canyon, the Amazon rainforest and 25 other places to be named the “New 7 Wonders of Nature”, based on a global online poll.

The finalists, which were announced on July 21 in Zurich, include well-known destinations like Matterhorn and Mt. Kilimanjaro, as well as more obscure spots like the Mud Volcanoes in Azerbaijan and Milford Sound in New Zealand. To vote for own ‘Wonder of Nature

Vote Philippines For the New 7 Wonders on Nature

Vote Philippines For the New 7 Wonders on Nature

Four of the Pinoy entries are in the Top 10, headed by Tubbataha Reef on number 3, Chocolate Hills on number 4, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park on number 6 and Mayon Volcano on number 10, partial results was posted as of June 4, 2008 and it will be closed on December 21, 2008. If you haven't voted yet visit this site New 7 Wonders.

Palawan river tops 7 Wonders list

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park has topped the first phase of the world’s New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) reported that the Philippines has evidently secured the lead in the latest online race for the new wonder list of natural sites.

“The good news is clear: the Philippines bested all other nominees and has secured the eminent spot in the New 7 Wonders of Nature race, with Puerto Princesa Subterranean River first in the rankings,” the DOT said.

Aside from the underground river, other Philippine nominees in the Top 10 are Tubbataha Reef (No. 4) and the Chocolate Hills of Bohol (No. 5)