Different Forms of Lands in the Philippines (Mga Anyong Lupa sa Pilipinas)

Philippines is a beautiful country. Why? Because it has different land and water formations that shaped our country. In this article, I will list down the different land forms in the Philippines.

1. Volcano (Bulkan)

A volcano is a mountain with a large hole at the top. There are active volcanoes and inactive volcanoes found in the Philippines. We have almost 200 volcanoes, but only 22 volcanoes are active. Mayon volcano is an example of an active volcano. It is located in Bicol province. It is one of the beautiful volcanoes because of its perfect cone. Another example is found in Talisay, Batangas. It is known as Taal Volcano. This is the smallest volcano in the world, and you will be amazed how beautiful it is.

 

 

2. Hill (Burol)

A hill is a high mass of land less than a mountain. It is still a part of a mountain, but it is in the lower part. This land form is used by farmers to graze their cows, goats, and carabaos because of its abundant grass and plants. Chocolate Hill is the famous hill in the Philippines found in Bohol.

 

 

 

3. Plain (Kapatagan)

A plain is a wide and flat land. Most developed cities in the Philippines are located in a plain land. It is also an ideal place for farming. The plain of Central Luzon is the largest plain in the country. It is also known as the rice granary of the Philippines.

 

 

4. Mountain (Bundok)

Philippines is rich in mountains. Mt. Apo is the highest mountain in the Philippines, and it is located in Davao, Mindanao. The second highest mountain is Mt. Dulang-Dulang found in Bukidnon. The third highest mountain is Mt. Pulag in Benguet. There are four mountain ranges in our country: Sierra Madre Mountains are the longest mountain range; Zambales mountain range;Cordillera mountain range;and Caraballo mountain range.

 

 

 

5. Plateau (Talampas)

A plateau is a wide plain on top of a hill or mountain. Many farmers lived here because it has a cool weather. It is also ideal for planting and growing vegetables and fruits. Tagaytay City and Baguio City are good examples of beautiful plateau in Philippines.

 

 

 

 

6. Valley (Lambak)

A valley is a plain land between the foot of the hills or mountains. Cagayan valley is the largest valley in the country. La Trinidad valley in Benguet is used for planting vegetables and fruits. You can find here different vegetables and fruits.

 

 

 

 

7. Cape (Tangos)

A cape is point of land running into the water. Some capes are used for docking sea vessels. Also, some constructions are built for good purposes. An example of a beautiful cape is in Pangasinan. It is called Cape Bolinao. A lighthouse was built there to guide sea travelers.

Overview about the Philippines Geographic Location, Climate, and Resources

There were many theories how Philippines was formed. Many believed that our country came from the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean. Others believed that Philippines was the result of a very strong earthquake. However, most historians and geologists agreed that Philippines was once a part of the vast stretch of land of the mainland Asian continent. Our ancestors used these vast stretch of land or ‘land bridges’ to travel by foot to Philippines. But because of the movements of the earth, our country was separated to Mainland Asia.

If you will check the map of Asia, you will see that Philippines is in Southeast Asia. We are surrounded by different countries like Indonesia in the south; Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia in the west; Japan and Taiwan in the north; Guam and Micronesia in the east. Our country is also composed of big and small islands. It is estimated that there are 7,107 islands in the Philippines. Only few of these islands were given names, and almost 2,000 islands are inhabited by Filipinos.

Our country is also divided into three major islands. Luzon is the biggest followed by Mindanao, and Visayas is the smallest. Here are the ten biggest islands in Philippines:

 

1. Luzon

2. Mindanao

3. Palawan

4. Samar

5. Negros

6. Panay

7. Mindoro

8. Leyte

9. Cebu

10. Bohol

Our country is also blessed with different bodies of water. These forms of water adds beauty in our country. Many foreign visitors visits our country to enjoy the beautiful beaches, lakes, and rivers. One example is Boracay. This beach is one of the most visited places in the Philippines.

Here are the big forms of water surrounding the Philippines:

1. Luzon straight, Balintang Channel, and Bashi Channel in the North.

2. Pacific Ocean in the East

3. South China in the West

4. Mindanao Sea and Celebes Sea in the South

Just like in other Asian countries, the physical environment of our country was characterized as a tropical country. This was the physical environment that the early settlers were accustomed to for a long period of time. Even up to this time, tropical climate with heavy rains and hot temperature prevails in our country.

Philippines is also blessed with rich natural resources. According to studies, our early ancestors live a good and decent lives thousands of years ago. Their daily needs came from the rich natural resources of forests, seas, rivers, plains, etc. Our country is also known for its various and unique forms of plants and animals found in our forests. There are more than 8,000 species of flowers, and approximately 14,000 species of plants. Our country is fortunate to have been gifted with natural resources. I hope we will value it, treasure it, and take care of it for the next generation.