Zamboanga del Norte

Province of Zamboanga del Norte
Provincial seal of Zamboanga del Norte
Map of the Philippines with Zamboanga del Norte highlighted Region Zamboanga Peninsula(Region IX) Capital Dipolog CityDivisions - Highly urbanized cities0 - Component cities2 - Municipalities25 - Barangays691 - Congressional districts3 Population 27th largest - Total (2007) 823,130 - Density 124/km² (27th highest) Area 8th largest - Total 6,618.0 km² Founded June 23, 1635and June 6, 1952Spoken languages Cebuano, Chavacano, Subanon, Tagalog EnglishGovernor Rolando E. Yebes

Zamboanga del Norte 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.

1 Demographics
2 Economy
3 Geography
- 3.1 Political
  - 3.1.1 Cities
  - 3.1.2 Municipalities
- 3.2 Physical
4 History
5 External links
6 References

Demographics

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 dialect spoken is Cebuano. Chavacano, English and Tagalog are also spoken, indicative of a high level of literacy. The original and native Subanon dialect lives on, especially in the highlands.

Economy

About half of the province's land area is devoted to agriculture. Corn, coconut, and rice are 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]

Geography

Political

Zamboanga del Norte is subdivided into 25 municipalities and 2 cities. These are further subdivided into 691 barangays, and clustered into 3 congressional districts.

Cities

Municipalities

Bacungan (Leon T. Postigo)
Baliguian
Godod (17)
Gutalac
Jose Dalman (Ponot)
Kalawit
Katipunan
La Libertad
Labason
Liloy
Manukan
Mutia
Piñan (New Piñan)

Physical

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.

History

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 province, 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.