Zamboanga del Norte

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]

In 2017, House Bill No. 5040 was introduced in the House of Representatives seeking to carve out a new province from Zamboanga del Norte. The proposed Zamboanga Hermosa province was to consist of 12 municipalities and 2 legislative districts that make up the 3rd legislative district of Zamboanga del Norte:[5][6] Baliguian, Godod, Gutalac, Kalawit, Labason, Leon B. Postigo, Liloy (its proposed capital), Salug, Sibuco, Siocon, Sirawai, and Tampilisan. However, the bill ultimately did not pass the 16th congress.

Dakak riverside in Dapitan City

Zamboanga del Norte covers a total area of 7,301.00 square kilometres (2,818.93 sq mi)[7] 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.

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.[7]

Sibuco is the largest municipality by land area, constituting 10.72% (782.54 square kilometers) of the total provincial area. Sibutad is the smallest, with 0.90% (65.57 square kilometers).[7]

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 language spoken is Cebuano. Other languages include Chavacano, Subanen, Tausug, and English.

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]

As of 2015, the province's poverty incidence has dropped to 51.6% (ranking 8th).[12] 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.[13][14][15]

• 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