| Zamboanga del Norte Utara Sembwangan |
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| — Province — | |||
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| Map of the Philippines with Zamboanga del Norte highlighted | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Philippines | ||
| Region | Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) | ||
| Founded | June 23, 1635 and June 6, 1952 | ||
| Capital | Dipolog City | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Province of the Philippines | ||
| • Governor | Rolando Yebes (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) | ||
| • Vice Governor | Francis Olvis (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7,301.0 km2 (2,818.9 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 10th out of 80 | ||
| Population (2007) | |||
| • Total | 907,238 | ||
| • Rank | 26th out of 80 | ||
| • Density | 124.3/km2 (321.8/sq mi) | ||
| • Density rank | 58th out of 80 | ||
| Divisions | |||
| • Independent cities | 0 | ||
| • Component cities | 2 | ||
| • Municipalities | 25 | ||
| • Barangays | 691 | ||
| • Districts | 1st to 3rd districts of Zamboanga del Norte | ||
| Time zone | PHT (UTC+8) | ||
| ZIP Code | |||
| Spoken languages | Subanon, Cebuano, Tausug, Zamboangueño/Chavacano, Tagalog, Spanish, English | ||
Zamboanga del Norte (Tagalog; Hilagang Samboanga, Standard Subanen:Utara Sembwangan)or simply known as ZANORTE is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Its capital is Dipolog City and the province borders Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay to the south and Misamis Occidental to the east. The Sulu Sea lies to the northwest of Zamboanga del Norte. Zamboanga del Norte is the Largest province of Zamboanga Peninsula in terms of land area.
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Zamboanga del Norte has a population of 823,130 according to the 2000 census. Its population density is 124/km². It is ranked 27th among the provinces both in terms of population and population density.
The main language spoken is Subanon. Zamboangueño/Chavacano, Cebuano, English and Tagalog are also spoken, indicative of a high level of literacy.
About half of the province's land area is devoted to agriculture. Corn, coconut, and rice are the major crops. The province being rich in marine and mineral sources, its fish production has accelerated through the development of fishponds. Commercial fishing has likewise steadily increased through the years, with the yellow fin tuna as the primary species.
In 2006, a study by National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB), found Zamboanga del Norte Province to be the Philippines's poorest with a poverty incidence rate of 64.6% in 2003, an increase from 47% in year 2000 statistical figures. [1]
Zamboanga del Norte is subdivided into 25 municipalities and 2 cities. These are further subdivided into 691 barangays, and clustered into 3 congressional districts.
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Zamboanga del Norte comprises the northern portion of the Zamboanga Peninsula. It is bounded on the north and west by the Sulu Sea, on the east by Misamis Occidental, and on the south by Zamboanga del Sur.
The province occupies a total land area of 6,618 square kilometers. It has an average elevation of 243.8 meters, with Mt. Dabiak in Katipunan as the highest peak at 2,600 meters. Other parts, near the coastlines, are plains. The province's irregular coastline runs 400 kilometers from north to south.
Zamboanga del Norte has a mild and moderate climate due to evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year. Its southern portion has a longer dry season.
The early history of Zamboanga del Norte is shared with that of Zamboanga City, which had been the center of the entire Mindanao area, most notably during the American era. When Zamboanga City became a chartered city on October 12, 1936, it encompassed the southern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula and the island of Basilan, making it the largest city in the world in terms of land area.
This all changed in 1948 when Basilan was made into a separate Chartered City, and further, when Republic Act No. 711, issued on June 6, 1952, created two more provinces out of Zamboanga City. One of these provinces was Zamboanga del Norte.
| Governor | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Felipe B. Azcuna | 1952-1955 | Azcuna was the former governor of Zamboanga before becoming the first Governor of Zamboanga del Norte. |
| Guadalupe C. Adaza | 1955 | Adaza previously served as Board Member until she was appoiRoldanted by President Ramon Magsaysay to replace suspended Governor Felipe Azcuna. |
| Romulo G. Garavillo | 1955-1959 | Garavillo served as member of the Provincial Board before becoming Governor. |
| Guadalupe C. Adaza | 1959-1963 | Adaza was elected Vice-Governor but was promoted to Governor when Governor-elect Alberto Ubay chose to continue his service in the Philippine House of Representatives[2] |
| Felipe B. Azcuna | 1963-1967 | Reelected governor in 1963. |
| Virginio B. Lacuya | 1967-1980 | Lacuya retired from politics in 1980. |
| Alberto Q. Ubay | 1980-1986 | Ubay previously served in the Philippine House of Representatives before elected Governor. |
| Isagani S. Amatong | 1986-1995 | Amatong was appointed Officer-in-charge Governor of Zamboanga del Norte after the 1986 People Power Revolution. |
| Roldan B. Dalman | 1995-1998 | |
| Isagani S. Amatong | 1998-2004 | |
| Rolando Yebes | 2004-present |
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