Cebu (island)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cebu Native name: Sugbo |
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|---|---|
 Map of the Philippines showing Cebu |
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| Geography | |
| Location | South East Asia |
| Archipelago | Visayas |
| Area | 4,468 km²
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| Administration | |
 Philippines |
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| Cities/municipalities | 17 |
| Largest city | Metro Cebu (excluding Cordoba and Lapu-Lapu) (1,679,045) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 3,350,000 (as of 2000) |
| Density | 749.8/km² |
| Indigenous people | Visayans (Cebuano) |
Cebu is an island of the Philippines. It is the main island of Cebu Province in Visayas.
It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol Island. It is flanked on both sides by the straits of Cebu (between Cebu and Bohol) and Tañon (between Cebu and Negros). Cebu is located between 9°25'N and 11°15'N latitude and between 123°13'E and 124°5'E longitude in the center of the archipelago.
Cebu Island is a long narrow island stretching 225 km (140 mi) from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighboring smaller islands, that includes Mactan Island, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. Of the hundreds of small islands some are uninhabited which make them the targets of adventure-seeking tourists.
Cebu City is the capital of Cebu Island Province. The province is a long narrow island at the center of the Visayan Islands, 365 miles south of Manila. Cebu City is centrally located in the widest portion of the island at the east coast harbor.
Cebu was under Spanish rule for three centuries. After discovery of the Philippines by Magellan in 1521, the first Spanish settlement was built in Cebu in 1565 by Mexico's Spanish government to colonize the country. Cebu also has the oldest school, San Carlos University, and the oldest street, Colon Street, built by the Spaniards.
Cebu is known for its narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus, and coastal plains, all characteristics of a typical tropical island. Cebu also has predominant rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island. Cebu's steep mountains reach over 1,000 meters. Flat tracts of land can be found in towns of Bogo, San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan at the northern tip of the island.
The island is also infamously known as the site of Ferdinand Magellan's death in the Battle of Mactan. Magellan had joined forces with Spanish soldiers and was leading them against Lapu-Lapu, a Visayan cheiftan. There are memorials to both men on the island in Lapu-Lapu City.
Cebu is a commercial center whose main industries include copper mining, fishing and aquaculture, farming and agriculture, shipbuilding, steel and cement. In addition to San Carlos University, major universities in Cebu City include Southwestern University, the University of the Visayas, and the University of the Southern Philippines.
The harbor of Cebu City is an international port with ocean-going vessels and domestic ships and five inter-island shipping companies. Cebu's international airport has daily flights to Manila and an inter-island system of passenger vessels.
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[edit] History
Cebu has the most historical significance. At the time of the global scramble for exotic spices in the East,a Portuguese navigator sailing for Spain, Fernando Magellan, came upon Zubu (Cebu). On April 7, 1521. The island then was already a flourishing village with "many sailing vessels from Siam (Thailand), China and Arabia docked at the port" as described by Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's chronicler. Then begun the Spanish era in the Philippines. However, it deteriorated upon the death of Magellan in the hands of the brave local warrior, Lapulapu, only to resurrect with the arrival 44 years later, in 1565, of Miguel Lopez di Legazpi.
Its rich and colorful metamorphosis can be traced from 1521 as Zubu, the fishing village and busy trading port, to Villa San Miguel, later to Villa del Santissimo Nombre de Jesus in 1575, then as the municipality of Cebu in 1905 up to its being a chartered city on February 24, 1937.
In the 19th century, Cebu started to exercise a dominant role in Southern Philippines' economic limelight. Agriculture, especially sugar cane cultivation and sugar manufacturing, pushed Cebu into playing an important role in this part of the country. But even more crucial than the agricultural products was her participation in trade and commerce. Proudly, Cebu has been given the honor as having many 'firsts' in the nation's history. Established by Legazpi in 1571, it became the first city in the Philippines, ante-dating Manila by 7 years. In point of fact, it is the oldest city in the country, having the oldest and smallest fort (Fort San Pedro), with the oldest church (Basilica of Sto. Niño), the oldest school (San Carlos) and the oldest street (Colon). Referred to as the Queen City of the South and the seat of early Filipino Christianization, Cebu is also famous for its musical stringed instruments like banduria, guitar and piccolo.
[edit] Geography
Cebu island some 1 kilometers from North to South and 2 kilometers across at its widest point wide. It is central to the Philippine archipelago and some 600 kilometers south of Manila.
This location combined with a sheltered deep water harbor has made Cebu the base for most of the country's domestic shipping and the gateway to the central and southern Philippines.
The island's area of 4,468 square kilometers supports over 3,454,645 million people. One-and-a-half million people live in Metro Cebu.
The east and west coasts are separated by a mountainous spine which rises to 1,000 metres. The climate is warm, generally 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year, except for the summer months from March to May which are dry.
Beaches, coral atolls, islands and rich fishing grounds surround Cebu.
Cebu's central location, proximity to unusually exotic tourist destination, ready access to a diversity of plant, animal and geological wonders within the island, and remoteness from earthquake and typhoon activity are some of the special attributes which help maintain Cebu's track record.
Dialect:
Bisaya (or visaya) is the dialect in the province, which is also widely spoken in the Visayas and Mindanao. Tagalog and English are also spoken and understood.
[edit] Transport and communications
Today, nearly 8 km. of shipping berths line Cebu's deep water port area, now the largest outside Manila. Efficient container handling, trucking and storage is available. The modern Mactan-Cebu International Airport is a major international gateway with direct flights to many countries. B747-400 aircraft at maximum takeoff weight can use the airport in all weathers.
Cebu's modern communications links utilize satellites, cellular telephone networks and routine land based telephone services. High quality broad band links and IDD services are available and compatible with systems worldwide. Direct links are maintained with over 116 countries. Cebu has a very high density of computer installations, and full access to the internet
Radio and television broadcast services are popular advertising mediums. Cable TV is installed over a wide area. The government postal services is efficient and is supplemented by established courier companies. Most international and local courier companies have offices in Cebu.
[edit] Sport and leisure
Scuba diving in a coral wonderland, hiking or mountain bike riding in the hills. The door is open. Excellent golf courses, jet skis, sail boards and boating facilities are widely available. If you wish to be pampered, there is a remarkable choice of world class resorts within easy reach for a quick weekend away. For the indoor enthusiast, the latest computerized ten pin bowling rinks or air conditioned squash courts beckon. Music is of a high standard and teaching of traditional and classical instruments is readily available. The importance to executives and workers of recreation facilities cannot be overemphasised.
Rapid access to myriads of offshore destinations for swimming, exploring, parasailing and diving is made easy by fast ferry services from Cebu's international port.
[edit] Industries
Copper and dolomite mining, industrial parts assembly, food processing, footwear, handicraft, rattancraft, woodcraft, metalcraft, garments, shellcraft, ceramics, basketware, rattan and wicker furniture, cement, costume jewelry, giftware, fertilizer, stonecraft, food products and preserves, electronic devices, transistors and diodes, vehicle assembly, agricultural products.
Also, bone fishing is now one of the new fly-fishing adventures that draw thousands each year.
