Luzon

(lo͞ozŏn`), island (1990 pop. 30,797,458), 40,420 sq mi (104,688 sq km), largest, most populous, and most important of the Philippine Islands.

Land and People

The irregular coastline of Luzon provides several fine bays, most notably Manila Bay, which is considered the best natural harbor in E Asia and one of the finest in the world. N Luzon, which is drained by the Cagayan River, is very mountainous; the highest peak, Mt. Pulog, rises to 9,606 ft (2,928 m). In the east the great Sierra Madre range so closely parallels the shore that almost no coastal plain exists. Mountains extend generally along the entire length of the island, into the irregular Bicol peninsula to the southeast, where Mt. Mayon is the most famous volcano. In the west, the Zambales range runs from Lingayen Gulf S to Bataan peninsula. The island has two large lakes, Laguna de Bay and Taal, and is subject to sometimes devastating typhoons. The inhabitants are almost all Christian and are principally Tagalogs and Ilocanos. Indigenous peoples include the Negritos and Igorots (the latter's famous rice terraces on steep mountain slopes are considered one of the agricultural wonders of the world).

Economy

Between the rugged coastal mountains, in central Luzon, lies the Central Plain, watered by the Pampanga and Agno rivers. Barely above sea level, c.100 mi (160 km) long and 40 mi (64 km) wide, it is the most important agricultural land in all the Philippines. It supplies food for almost the entire Manila area and is the nation's major rice-producing region and its second (after Negros island) sugarcane-producing area. Elsewhere, the Bicol peninsula is known for its extensive coconut plantations; the Cagayan River valley for its tobacco and corn. Other major crops are fruits, vegetables, and cacao. Luzon has important lumbering and mining industries; there are gold, chromite, nickel, copper, and iron deposits, and the bamboo on Bataan peninsula has many commercial uses. Manufacturing is centered in the Manila metropolitan area, where the major industries produce textiles, chemicals, and metal products. Scattered throughout the island are fertilizer plants, an occasional oil refinery, cement factories, and plywood mills and wood product plants.

History

As the major island, Luzon has played the leading role in the nation's history. Manila harbor has been important since the arrival of the Spanish in the late 16th cent. It was on Luzon that the Filipino revolt against Spanish rule began (1896), that U.S. forces wrested control of the islands from Spain (1898), and that the Philippine insurrection against U.S. rule broke out (1899). The island was invaded by Japanese forces in several places on Dec. 10, 1941, and in early 1942 the Allied forces made their last stand on BataanBataan
, peninsula and province (1990 pop. 426,000), W Luzon, the Philippines, between Manila Bay and the South China Sea. Balanga is the provincial capital. A mountainous, thickly jungled region, it has some of the best bamboo forests in the Philippines.
..... Click the link for more information. peninsula and CorregidorCorregidor
, historic fortified island (c.2 sq mi/5 sq km), at the entrance to Manila Bay, just off Bataan peninsula of Luzon island, the Philippines. From the days of the Spanish, Corregidor and its tiny neighboring islets—El Fraile, Caballo, and Carabao—guarded the
..... Click the link for more information. . Luzon was recovered (1945) after a major landing from Lingayen Gulf (January), a bloody fight for Manila (February), and protracted mop-up operations, which were not completed until June. Luzon's several U.S. military bases were closed down between 1971 and 1992, in part because of the devastation caused by Mt. PinatuboPinatubo, Mount
, active volcano, 5,840 ft (1,780 m), central Luzon island, the Philippines, c.55 mi (90 km) NW of Manila. Dormant for 600 years, it began erupting on Apr. 2, 1991.
..... Click the link for more information. 's eruption; the one at Subic Bay was converted to a free-trade zone. See Philippines, ThePhilippines, The
, officially Republic of the Philippines, republic (2015 est. pop. 101,716,000), 115,830 sq mi (300,000 sq km), SW Pacific, in the Malay Archipelago off the SE Asia mainland. It comprises over 7,000 islands and rocks, of which only c.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Luzon

the largest island of the Philippine archipelago. Area, 105,600 sq km. Population, about 16.7 million (1970, estimate).

In the west and south the coast is cut by numerous gulfs and bays that are suitable for navigation; rocky, precipitous shores predominate in the east. The terrain consists of a combination of mountains, intermontane plains, and coastal plains. The Cordillera Central, with Mt. Pulog, the highest point on Luzon (2,934 m), lies in the north. The island has active volcanoes (for example, Mayon; elevation, 2,462 m). There are deposits of gold, chromites, and copper and iron ores.

Luzon has a subequatorial monsoon climate. Owing to the influence of the northeast winter monsoon and the southwest summer monsoon, dry periods are short and irregular. The mean air temperatures are 23°-25°C on the northern plains and 27°-29°C in the south; it is significantly cooler in the mountains. Precipitation totals 2,000-3,000 mm a year, and typhoons are frequent. The rivers carry a great deal of water. In the mountains there are subequatorial evergreen and monsoon deciduous-evergreen forests; on the plains, savanna landscapes formerly predominated, but now most areas are under cultivation. The principal crops are rice, corn, coconuts, sugarcane, abaca, and tobacco. Quezon City, the official capital of the Philippines, as well as Manila, the country’s largest city, are on Luzon.

IU. K. EFREMOV

Luzon

the main and largest island of the Philippines, in the N part of the archipelago, separated from the other islands by the Sibuyan Sea: important agriculturally, producing most of the country's rice, with large forests and rich mineral resources; industrial centres at Manila and Batangas. Capital: Quezon City. Pop.: 32 558 000 (1995 est.). Area: 108 378 sq. km (41 845 sq. miles)

Luzon

Lu·zon

Luzon

Lu•zon

Luzon

Luzon

Land and People

Economy

History

Luzon

Luzon

Luzon

Words related to Luzon

noun the main island of the Philippines

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