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| Location | Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam | | | Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 122 00 E | | | Zone | Asia | | | Area | total: 300,000 sq km
land: 298,170 sq km
water: 1,830 sq km | | | 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
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation | | | 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 | | | Irrigated land | 36,289 km | | | 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 | the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; 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 | |
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