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
water: 1,830 sq km
land: 298,170 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
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| 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: 18.95%
permanent crops: 16.77%
other: 64.28% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 15,500 sq km (1998 est.) |
| 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: | favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait
Source: CIA World Factbook
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