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Climate
The climate of the Philippines is tropical and is strongly affected by monsoon (rain-bearing) winds, which blow from the southwest from approximately May to October and from the northeast from November to February. Thus, temperatures remain relatively constant from north to south during the year, and seasons consist of periods of wet and dry. Throughout the country, however, there are considerable variations in the frequency and amount of precipitation. The western shores facing the South China Sea have marked dry and wet seasons. The dry season generally begins in December and ends in May, the first three months being cool and the second three hot; the rest of the year consists of the wet season. The dry season shortens progressively to the east until it ceases to occur. During the wet season, rainfall is heavy in all parts of the archipelago except for an area extending southward through the centre of the Visayan group to central Mindanao and then southwestward through the Sulu Archipelago; rain is heaviest along the eastern shores facing the Pacific Ocean. From June to December typhoons often strike the archipelago. Most of these storms come from the southeast, their frequency generally increasing from south to north; in some years the number of typhoons reaches 25 or more. Typhoons are heaviest in
Samar, Leyte, eastern Quezon province, and the Batan Islands, and when accompanied by floods or high winds they may cause great loss of life and property. Mindanao is generally free from typhoons. November through February constitutes the most agreeable season; the air is cool and invigorating at night, and the days are pleasant and sunny. During the hot part of the dry season in most places, and especially in the cities of
Cebu, Davao, and Manila, the temperature sometimes rises as high as 100º F (38º C). Overall temperatures decline with altitude, however, and cities and towns located at higher elevations--such as Baguio in northern Luzon, Majayjay and Lucban south of Manila, and Malaybalay in central Mindanao--experience a pleasant climate throughout the year; at times the temperature in these places dips as low as 43º F (6º C). Plant and animal life
Much of the land area of the islands is covered with forest, and many of the mountains are densely forested. In northern Luzon the principal mountain tree is pine. In many places where the forests have been burned away their place has been taken by tall, coarse cogon grass (genus Imperata) or similar grasses. There are about 10,000 known species of flowering plants and ferns. Much of the vegetation resembles that found in Malaysia, and the vegetation of the coastal areas, including the mangrove swamps, is practically identical with that of similar areas throughout the Malay Archipelago. Himalayan elements occur in the mountains of northern Luzon, while a few Australian types are found at various altitudes. A majority of the plant species are indigenous, including the dominant forest species. Lauan (Philippine mahogany) often composes a high percentage of the forest. There are many other valuable hardwoods as well as many softwoods. About 800 species of orchids, some very rare, are found. There are about 220 species of mammals, among which are carabaos (water buffalo), goats, horses, hogs, cats, dogs, monkeys, squirrels, lemurs, mice, pangolins (scaly anteaters), chevrotains (mouse deer), mongooses, civet cats, and red and brown deer. The tamaraw, a very small species of
carabao, is found only on Mindoro. There are at least 56 species of bats, many peculiar to the Philippines. Fossil remains show that there were once elephants on the islands. There are some 500 species of birds, many of which are migrants. Birdlife includes jungle fowl, pigeons, peacocks, pheasants, doves, parrots, hornbills, kingfishers, sunbirds, tailorbirds, weaverbirds, herons, and quails. Many species of birds are unique to the island of
Palawan. The rare and endangered monkey-eating eagle is restricted mainly to isolated areas on Mindanao and in the Sierra Madre on Luzon. |