Zamboanga del Norte

Zamboanga del Norte
Province
Province of Zamboanga del Norte[1]
Provincial Capitol in Dipolog City prior to renovation, later postponed
Flag Seal
Motto(s): Unity, Prosperity, Peace
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 8°08′00″N 123°00′00″E / 8.1333333°N 123°E / 8.1333333; 123Coordinates: 8°08′00″N 123°00′00″E / 8.1333333°N 123°E / 8.1333333; 123
Country	Philippines
Region	Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX)
Founded	June 23, 1635 and June 6, 1952
Capital	Dipolog
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlalawigan
• Governor	Roberto Y. Uy (PDP-Laban)
• Vice Governor	Senen O. Angeles (PDP-Laban)
Area[2]
• Total	7,301.00 km2 (2,818.93 sq mi)
Area rank	9th out of 81
Highest elevation (Mount Dabiak)	2,600 m (8,500 ft)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	1,011,393
• Rank	26th out of 81
• Density	140/km2 (360/sq mi)
• Density rank	60th out of 81
Divisions
• Independent cities	0
• Component cities	2 Dapitan Dipolog
• Municipalities	25 Baliguian Godod Gutalac Jose Dalman Kalawit Katipunan La Libertad Labason Leon B. Postigo Liloy Manukan Mutia Piñan Polanco President Manuel A. Roxas Rizal Salug Sergio Osmeña Sr. Siayan Sibuco Sibutad Sindangan Siocon Sirawai Tampilisan
• Barangays	691
• Districts	3 districts of Zamboanga del Norte
Time zone	UTC+8 (PHT)
ZIP code	7100–7124
IDD : area code	+63 (0)65
ISO 3166 code	PH
Spoken languages	Cebuano Subanon Chavacano Filipino English
Income classification	1st class
Website	www.zanorte.gov.ph

Zamboanga del Norte is a province in the Philippines situated within the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Its capital is Dipolog City and the province borders Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay to the south, Misamis Occidental to the east, and the Sulu Sea to the west.

Zamboanga del Norte is the largest province of the Zamboanga Peninsula region by land area covering 7,301.00 square kilometres (2,818.93 sq mi).^[2] Zamboanga del Norte is the 26th populous province in the Philippines.

History

The historical province of Zamboanga in 1918

Prior to its creation as a province, Zamboanga del Norte formed the northern portion of the historical province of Zamboanga.

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.

Through Republic Act No. 711 issued on June 6, 1952, Zamboanga province was divided into two independent provinces, which included Zamboanga del Sur.^[4]

Geography

Dakak riverside in Dapitan City

Zamboanga del Norte covers a total area of 7,301.00 square kilometres (2,818.93 sq mi)^[5] occupying the northern portion of the Zamboanga Peninsula in western Mindanao. The province is bordered on the north and west by the Sulu Sea, on the northeast by Misamis Occidental, and on the south by Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

It has an average elevation of 243.8 metres (800 ft), with Mount Dabiak in Katipunan as the highest peak at 2,600 metres (8,500 ft). Other parts, near the coastlines, are plains. The province's irregular coastline runs some 400 kilometres (250 mi) from north to south.

Administrative divisions

Zamboanga del Norte comprises 25 municipalities and 2 cities. Dipolog City, Sindangan and Dapitan City are the top most densely populated area in the province These are further subdivided into 691 barangays, and clustered into 3 congressional districts.^[5]

Sibuco is the largest municipality by land area, constituting 7001107200000000000♠10.72% (782.54 square kilometers) of the total provincial area. Sibutad is the smallest, with 6999900000000000000♠0.90% (65.57 square kilometers).^[5]

Proposed provincial division

On February 21, 2017, House Bill No. 5040 was introduced in the House of Representatives that seeks to carve out a new province from Zamboanga del Norte. This new province, called Zamboanga Hermosa, is proposed to consist of the 12 municipalities and 2 legislative districts that make up the 3rd legislative district of Zamboanga del Norte:^[8][9]

Demographics

The population of Zamboanga del Norte in the 2015 census was 1,011,393 people,^[3] with a density of 140 inhabitants per square kilometre or 360 inhabitants per square mile. Dipolog is the most populated area in the land, followed by a first class town- Sindangan, then Dapitan.

The main languages spoken are Cebuano and Chavacano. Other languages include Subanen, Tausug, Tagalog, and English.

Government

Economy

Zamboanga del Norte Medical Center in Dipolog City

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 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' poorest province with a poverty incidence rate of 64.6%, an increase from 47% in year 2000 statistical figures.^[11]

Despite of its rich and sea and land resources, it is still the poorest province incident rate of 64.6%. Large foreign mining companies operating within the province such as Canadian company TVI Resource Development and Philex Mining Corp. cause adverse effects to the culture and traditions of the indigenous Subanon and other poor settlers.^[12][13][14]

References

External links

• Media related to Zamboanga del Norte at Wikimedia Commons
• Geographic data related to Zamboanga del Norte at OpenStreetMap
• Old website of the Province of Zamboanga del Norte
• Daily Zamboanga Times