Luzon

This article is about the Philippine island. For other uses, see Luzon (disambiguation).

Luzon

Luzon mainland      and its associated islands
Geography
Location	Southeast Asia
Coordinates
Archipelago	Philippines
Adjacent bodies of water	Babuyan Channel Burias Pass Philippine Sea Polillo Strait Samar Sea San Bernardino Strait Sibuyan Sea South China Sea Ticao Pass Verde Island Passage
Major islands	Luzon Mindoro Palawan Masbate Catanduanes Busuanga Marinduque Romblon Polillo Burias Ticao Alabat Sibuyan Tablas Culion Balabac Bugsuk Dumaran
Area	109,965 km2 (42,458 sq mi)
Area rank	15th
Coastline	3,249.6 km (2,019.21 mi)
Highest elevation	2,928 m (9,606 ft)
Highest point	Mount Pulag
Administration
Philippines
Regions	List Region 1 – Ilocos Region Region 2 – Cagayan Valley Region 3 – Central Luzon Region 4.A – Calabarzon Region 4.B – Mimaropa Region 5 – Bicol Region Cordillera Administrative Region National Capital Region
Provinces	List Abra Albay Apayao Aurora Bataan Batangas Benguet Bulacan Cagayan Camarines Norte Camarines Sur Cavite Ifugao Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur Isabela Kalinga La Union Laguna Mountain Province Nueva Ecija Nueva Vizcaya Pampanga Pangasinan Quezon Quirino Rizal Sorsogon Tarlac Zambales Outlying island provinces: Batanes Catanduanes Marinduque Masbate Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Palawan Romblon
Largest settlement	Quezon City (pop. 2,960,048)
Demographics
Demonym	Luzonian (modern) Luzonense (occasional) Luções (archaic)
Population	64,260,312 (2021) (estimate)
Pop. density	490 /km2 (1,270 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Aeta Bicolano Bolinao Gaddang Ibanag Igorot Bontoc Ibaloi Ifugao Isneg Kalinga Kankanaey Kalanguya Ilokano Ilongot Itawes Ivatan Kapampangan Pangasinan Sambal Tagalog

Luzon (/luːˈzɒn/; Tagalog pronunciation: [luˈson]) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. It is ranked 15th largest in the world by land area. Located in the northern portion of the archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as well as Quezon City, the country's most populous city. With a population of 53 million as of 2015, it contains 52.5% of the country's total population and is the fourth most populous island in the world.

Luzon may also refer to one of the three primary island groups in the country. As such, it includes the Luzon mainland, the Batanes and Babuyan groups of islands to the north, Polillo Islands to the east, and the outlying islands of Catanduanes, Marinduque and Mindoro, among others, to the south. The islands of Masbate, Palawan and Romblon are also included, although these three are sometimes grouped with the Visayas.

Etymology

Bangkang pinawa, an ancient Philippine mortar and pestle.

The name Luzon is thought to derive from lusong, a Tagalog word referring to a particular kind of large wooden mortar used in dehusking rice. A 2008 PIDS research paper by Eulito Bautista and Evelyn Javier provides an image of a lusong, explaining:

Traditional milling was accomplished in the 1900s by pounding the palay with a wooden pestle in a stone or wooden mortar called lusong. The first pounding takes off the hull and further pounding removes the bran but also breaks most grains. Further winnowing with a bamboo tray (bilao) separates the hull from the rice grains. This traditional hand-pounding chore, although very laborious and resulted in a lot of broken rice, required two to three skilled men and women to work harmoniously and was actually a form of socializing among young folks in the villages.

Luconia, is an old name of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, depicted in old Latin, Italian, and Portuguese maps as "Luçonia" or "Luconia."

History

Further information: History of Luzon, Tondo (historical polity), Namayan, and Rajahnate of Maynila

Luzon was originally inhabited by Negritos, before Austronesians from Taiwan arrived and displaced them. Some of the Austronesian peoples formed highland civilizations, and others formed lowland coastal states. Highland civilizations were located in the mountains. As for the coastal states, some were Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms, some were Muslim principalities, and some were ethnoreligious tribes. These states had trading connections with India, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Malaya, Indochina, Bengal, Korea, Okinawa, Japan and China.

Beginning just before 1000 CE, the Tagalog, Kapampangan, and Pangasinan peoples of south and central Luzon established several major coastal polities, notably Maynila, Tondo and Namayan. The oldest known Philippine document, written in 900AD, is the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, which names places in and around Manila Bay and also mentions Medan, a place in Indonesia. These coastal Philippine kingdoms were thalassocracies, based on trade with neighboring Asian political entities, and structured by leases between village rulers (Datu) and landlords (Lakan) or Rajahs, by whom tributes were extracted and taxes were levied.

There was also a Buddhist polity known as Ma-i or Maidh, described in Chinese and Bruneian records in the 10th century AD, although its location is still unknown and scholars are divided on whether it is in modern-day Bay, Laguna or Bulalacao, Mindoro.

File:Captioned Detail of Jean Mallat 1846 Illustration Tagalog Couple Pounding Rice.jpg

Detail of an illustration from Jean Mallat's Les Philippines (1846), showing "a Tagalog couple pounding rice." The mortar depicted is known as a "lusong", which was also the Old Tagalog name of the Pasig River delta.

According to sources at the time, the trade in large native Ruson-tsukuri (literally Luzon-made, Japanese:呂宋製) clay jars used for storing green tea and rice wine with Japan flourished in the 12th century, and local Tagalog, Kapampangan and Pangasinan potters had marked each jar with Baybayin letters denoting the particular urn used and the kiln the jars were manufactured in. Certain kilns were renowned over others and prices depended on the reputation of the kiln. Of this flourishing trade, the Burnay jars of Ilocos are the only large clay jar manufactured in Luzon today with origins from this time.

During the 1300s, the Javanese-centered Hindu empire of Majapahit briefly ruled over Luzon as recorded in the epic poem Nagarakretagama, which stated that they had colonies in the Philippines at Saludong (Manila) and Solot (Sulu). Eventually, the kingdoms of Luzon regained independence from Majapahit after the Battle of Manila (1365) and Sulu also reestablished independence and in vengeance, assaulted the Majapahit province of Poni (Brunei) before a fleet from the capital drove them out.

The Yongle Emperor instituted a Chinese governor on Luzon during Zheng He's voyages and appointed Ko Ch'a-lao to that position in 1405. China also had vassals among the leaders in the archipelago. China attained ascendancy in trade with the area in Yongle's reign.

Afterwards, some parts of Luzon were Islamized when the former Majapahit province of Poni broke free, converted to Islam, imported an Arab prince from the Sharifate of Mecca in the person of Sharif Ali, who became the Sultan of Brunei, a nation that then expanded its realms from Borneo to the Philippines and set up the Kingdom of Maynila as its puppet-state as well as incorporate the newly converted Sultanate of Sulu by a royal marriage. However, other kingdoms resisted Islam, like the Wangdom of Pangasinan which had remained a tributary state to China and was a largely Sinified kingdom which maintained trade with Japan.

In the 1500s, people from Luzon were called Luções and they established many overseas communities within the Indo-Pacific and were actively employed in trading, seafaring and military campaigns across Southeast Asia.

The Portuguese were the first European explorers who recorded it in their charts as Luçonia or Luçon and inhabitants were called Luçoes. Edmund Roberts, who visited Luzon in the early 19th century, wrote that Luzon was "discovered" in 1521. Many people from Luzon had active-employment in Portuguese Malacca. Lucoes such as the Luzon spice magnate Regimo de Raja, based in Malacca, was highly influential and the Portuguese appointed him as Temenggong (Sea Lord) or a governor and chief general responsible for overseeing of maritime trade, at Malacca. As Temenggung, he was also the head of an armada which traded and protected commerce between the Indian Ocean, the Strait of Malacca, the South China Sea, and the medieval maritime principalities of the Philippines. His father and wife carried on his maritime trading business after his death. Another important Malacca trader was Curia de Raja who also hailed from Luzon. The "surname" of "de Raja" or "diraja" could indicate that Regimo and Curia, and their families, were of noble or royal descent as the term is an abbreviation of Sanskrit adiraja.

Pinto noted that there were a number of Luçoes in the Islamic fleets that went to battle with the Portuguese in the Philippines during the 16th century. The Sultan of Aceh gave one of them (Sapetu Diraja) the task of holding Aru (northeast Sumatra) in 1540. Pinto also says one was named leader of the Malays remaining in the Moluccas Islands after the Portuguese conquest in 1511. Pigafetta notes that one of them was in command of the Brunei fleet in 1521.

However, the Luções did not only fight on the side of the Muslims. Pinto says they were also apparently among the natives of the Philippines who fought the Muslims in 1538.

On Mainland Southeast Asia, Lusung/Luçoes warriors aided the Burmese king in his invasion of Siam in 1547 AD. At the same time, Lusong warriors fought alongside the Siamese king and faced the same elephant army of the Burmese king in the defence of the Siamese capital at Ayutthaya. Lucoes military and trade activity reached as far as Sri Lanka in South Asia where Lungshanoid pottery made in Luzon were discovered in burials.

Scholars have thus suggested that they could be mercenaries valued by all sides.

The Spanish arrival in the 16th century saw the incorporation of the Lucoes people and the breaking up of their kingdoms and the establishment of the Las Islas Filipinas with its capital Cebu, which was moved to Manila following the defeat of the local Rajah Sulayman in 1570. Under Spain, Luzon also came to be known as the Nueva Castilla or the New Castile. In Spanish times, Luzon became the focal point for trade between the Americas and Asia. The Manila Galleons constructed in the Bicol region, brought silver mined from Peru and Mexico to Manila, which was used to purchase Asian commercial goods like Chinese silk, Indian gems and Indonesian spices which were exported to the Americas. Luzon then became a focal point for global migration. The walled city of Intramuros was initially founded by 1200 Spanish families. The nearby district of Binondo became the center of business and transformed into the world's oldest Chinatown. There was also a smaller district reserved for Japanese migrants in Dilao. Cavite City also served as the main port for Luzon and many Mexican soldiers and sailors were stationed in the naval garrisons there. When the Spanish evacuated from Ternate, Indonesia; they settled the Papuan refugees in Ternate, Cavite which was named after their evacuated homeland. After the short British Occupation of Manila, the Indian Sepoy soldiers that mutinied against their British commanders and joined the Spanish, then settled in Cainta, Rizal. Newcomers who were impoverished Mexicans and peninsulares were accused of undermining the submission of the natives. In 1774, authorities from Bulacan, Tondo, Laguna Bay, and other areas surrounding Manila reported with consternation that discharged soldiers and deserters (From Mexico, Spain and Peru) were providing indios military training for the weapons that had been disseminated all over the territory during the British war. There was also continuous immigration of Dravidian speaking Tamils and Indoeuropean speaking Bengalis into the rural areas of Luzon as Spanish administrators, native nobles, and Chinese businessmen, imported them as slave labor during this period.

Eventually people from the Philippines, primarily from Luzon, were recruited by France which was then in alliance with Spain, to at first defend Indo-Chinese converts to Christianity which were persecuted by their native governments there, extended to eventually conquer Vietnam, Laos and re-establish Cambodia as a French Protectorate (As Cambodia was invaded by Thailand and liberated and re-established by Franco-Filipino-Spanish forces), albeit under French dominion, as they established French Cochinchina which was centered in Saigon. In China, Filipinos were used as mercenaries in the successful suppression of the anti-foreigner Taiping rebellion. In the Americas, in contrast, Filipinos were very active in Anti-Imperialist uprisings, Overseas Filipinos living in Louisiana were soldiers serving under Jean Lafayette in the defense of New Orleans in the War of 1812 against a Britain wanting to re-invade America. "Manilamen" recruited from San Blas joined the Argentinian of French descent, Hypolite Bouchard in the assault of Spanish California during the Argentinian War of Independence. Manila born Ramón Fabié supported Miguel Hidalgo in the Mexican War of Independence. Filipinos living in Mexico serving under the Filipino-Mexican General Isidoro Montes de Oca assisted then insurgent President, Vicente Guerrero, in the Mexican war of independence against Spain. Luzon then produced another great General, this time, for the Spanish Empire, in the person of Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero who became Prime-Minister of Spain. Marcelo Azcaragga Palmero was born in the island of Luzon (Historically called Luçon) and was a restorer of a fallen throne, a Royalist to the Spanish Bourbons. It is a case of historical names repeating itself since the Royalist army in the War in the Vendée at France which attempted to restore the French Bourbons was primarily based on the Diocese of Luçon.

After many years of Spanish occupation and resistance to reform, the Andres Novales uprising occurred and it was inspired by the Latin American Wars of Independence. Novales' uprising was primarily supported by Mexicans living in the Philippines as well as immigrant Latinos from the now independent nations of Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Costa Rica. Although the uprising failed it inspired the Cavite Mutiny, the suppression of which, lead to the martyrdoms of Priests, Gomburza and the subsequent execution of the reformist and hero, Jose Rizal. Reeling against this, the Philippine Revolution against Spain erupted in Cavite and spread all throughout Luzon and the Philippines. Consequently, the First Philippine Republic was established in Malolos, Bulacan. In the meantime, Spain sold the Philippines to the United States and the First Philippine Republic resisted the new American colonizers in the Philippine–American War which the Republic lost due to its diplomatic isolation (No nation recognized the First Republic) as well as due to the numerical superiority of the American army. The Americans then set up the cool mountain city of Baguio as a summer retreat for its officials. The Americans also rebuilt the capital, Manila, and established American military bases in Olongapo and Angeles City.

Further information: Spanish East Indies

U.S. Navy ships under attack while entering Lingayen Gulf, January 1945

In World War II, the Philippines were considered to be of great strategic importance because their capture by Japan would pose a significant threat to the U.S. As a result, 135,000 troops and 227 aircraft were stationed in the Philippines by October 1941. Luzon was captured by Imperial Japanese forces in 1942 during their campaign to capture the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur—who was in charge of the defense of the Philippines at the time—was ordered to Australia, and the remaining U.S. forces retreated to the Bataan Peninsula.

A few months after this, MacArthur expressed his belief that an attempt to recapture the Philippines was necessary. The U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Chester Nimitz and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest King both opposed this idea, arguing that it must wait until victory was certain. MacArthur had to wait two years for his wish; it was 1944 before a campaign to recapture the Philippines was launched. The island of Leyte was the first objective of the campaign, which was captured by the end of December 1944. This was followed by the attack on Mindoro and later, Luzon.

Further information: Battle of Luzon

The end of the World War necessitated decolonization due to rising nationalist movements across the world's many colonies. Subsequently, the Philippines gained independence from the United States. Luzon then arose to become the most developed island in the Philippines. However, the lingering poverty and inequality caused by the long dictatorship of US-supported dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, gave rise to the Philippine diaspora and many people from Luzon have migrated elsewhere and had established large overseas communities; mainly in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Eventually, the People Power Revolution led by Corazon Aquino and Cardinal Jaime Sin, removed Marcos and his cronies from power and they fled to Hawaii where the US granted them asylum. The following administrations are subsequently managing the political and economic recovery of the Philippines with the particular aim of spreading development outside of Luzon and into the more isolated provinces of the Visayas and Mindanao.

Geography

Further information: Geography of Luzon

Satellite image of Luzon

Luzon island alone has an area of 109,964.9 square kilometres (42,457.7 sq mi), making it the world's 15th largest island. It is bordered on the west by the South China Sea (Luzon Sea in Philippine territorial waters), on the east by the Philippine Sea, and on the north by the Luzon Strait containing the Babuyan Channel and Balintang Channel. The mainland is roughly rectangular in shape and has the long Bicol Peninsula protruding to the southeast.

Luzon is roughly divided into four sections; Northern, Central and Southern Luzon, and the National Capital Region.

Regions	Six divisions	Four divisions	Three divisions	Two divisions
Ilocos Region	Ilocandia	Northern Luzon	North and Central Luzon	North and Central Luzon
Cagayan Valley
Cordillera Administrative Region	Cordilleras
Central Luzon	Central Luzon
National Capital Region	Metro Manila			Southern Luzon
Calabarzon	Southern Tagalog	Southern Luzon	Southern Luzon
Mimaropa
Bicol Region	Bicolandia

Physical

Northern Luzon

The northwestern portion of the island, which encompasses most of the Ilocos Region, is characterized by a flat terrain extending east from the coastline toward the Cordillera Central mountains.

The Cordillera mountain range, which feature the island's north-central section, is covered in a mixture of tropical pine forests and montane rainforests, and is the site of the island's highest mountain, Mount Pulag, rising at 2,922 metres. The range provides the upland headwaters of the Agno River, which stretches from the slopes of Mount Data, and meanders along the southern Cordillera mountains before reaching the plains of Pangasinan.

The northeastern section of Luzon is generally mountainous, with the Sierra Madre, the longest mountain range in the country, abruptly rising a few miles from the coastline. Located in between the Sierra Madre and the Cordillera Central mountain ranges is the large Cagayan Valley. This region, which is known for being the second largest producer of rice and the country's top corn-producer, serves as the basin for the Cagayan River, the longest in the Philippines.

Along the southern limits of the Cordillera Central lies the lesser-known Caraballo Mountains. These mountains form a link between the Cordillera Central and the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, separating the Cagayan Valley from the Central Luzon plains.

Image gallery

• 

  North coast of Luzon along the Cagayan-Ilocos Norte boundary

• 

  Summit of Mount Pulag, Luzon's highest mountain

• 

  West coast of Luzon at San Juan overlooking the South China Sea

• 

  The Cagayan Valley at Cabagan with the Sierra Madre mountains in the background

• 

  Canoes along upstream Cagayan River at Quirino province

Central Luzon

The Central Luzon plain with Mount Arayat in the background

The central section of Luzon is characterized by a flat terrain, known as the Central Luzon plain, the largest in the island in terms of land area. The plain, approximately 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) in size, is the country's largest producer of rice, and is irrigated by two major rivers; the Cagayan to the north, and the Pampanga to the south. In the middle of the plain rises the solitary Mount Arayat.

The western coasts of Central Luzon are typically flat extending east from the coastline to the Zambales Mountains, the site of Mount Pinatubo, made famous because of its enormous 1991 eruption. These mountains extend to the sea in the north, forming the Lingayen Gulf, and to the south, forming the Bataan Peninsula. The peninsula encloses the Manila Bay, a natural harbor considered to be one of the best natural ports in East Asia, due to its size and strategic geographical location.

The Sierra Madre mountain range continues to stretch across the western section of Central Luzon, snaking southwards into the Bicol Peninsula.

Southern Luzon

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 Manila Bay 2 Laguna de Bay 3 Taal Volcano / Taal Lake 4 Bataan Peninsula 5 Balayan Bay 6 Batangas Bay 7 South China Sea 8 Mindoro Island 9 Lamon Bay

The northern section of Southern Luzon is dominated by the Laguna de Bay (Old Spanish, "Lake of Bay town"), the largest lake in the country. The 949-square-kilometre (366 sq mi) lake is drained into Manila Bay by the Pasig River, one of the most important rivers in the country due to its historical significance and because it runs through the center of Metro Manila.

Located 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Laguna de Bay is Taal Lake, a crater lake containing the Taal Volcano, the smallest in the country. The environs of the lake form the upland Tagaytay Ridge, which was once part of a massive prehistoric volcano that covered the southern portion of the province of Cavite, Tagaytay and the whole of Batangas province.

South of Laguna Lake are two solitary mountains, Mount Makiling in Laguna province, and Mount Banahaw, the highest in the region of Calabarzon.

The southeastern portion of Luzon is dominated by the Bicol Peninsula, a mountainous and narrow region extending approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) southeast from the Tayabas Isthmus in Quezon province to the San Bernardino Strait along the coasts of Sorsogon. The area is home to several volcanoes, the most famous of which is the 2,460-metre (8,070 ft) high symmetrically shaped Mayon Volcano in Albay province. The Sierra Madre range has its southern limits at Quezon province. Ultra-prominent mountains dot the landscape, which include Mount Isarog and Mount Iriga in Camarines Sur, and Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon.

The peninsula's coastline features several smaller peninsulas, gulfs and bays, which include Lamon Bay, San Miguel Bay, Lagonoy Gulf, Ragay Gulf, and Sorsogon Bay.

The nearly perfectly shaped Mayon Volcano and the city of Legazpi in Albay province

Outlying islands

Several outlying islands near mainland Luzon are considered part of the Luzon island group. The largest include Palawan, Mindoro, Masbate, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Romblon and Polillo.

Further information: Island groups of the Philippines

Administrative divisions

The island is covered by 8 administrative regions, 30 provinces and, as of 2014, 68 cities (8 regions, 38 provinces and 71 cities if associated islands are included).

Region (designation)	Location	Population (2015)	Area	Density	Regional center
Ilocos Region (Region I)		5,026,128 (5.0%)	13,012.60 km2 (5,024.19 sq mi)	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)	San Fernando (La Union)
Cagayan Valley (Region II)		3,451,410 (3.4%)	28,228.83 km2 (10,899.21 sq mi)	120/km2 (310/sq mi)	Tuguegarao
Central Luzon (Region III)		11,218,177 (11.1%)	22,014.63 km2 (8,499.90 sq mi)	510/km2 (1,300/sq mi)	San Fernando (Pampanga)
Calabarzon (Region IV-A)		14,414,774 (14.3%)	16,873.31 km2 (6,514.82 sq mi)	850/km2 (2,200/sq mi)	Calamba
Southwestern Tagalog Region (Mimaropa)		2,963,360 (2.9%)	29,620.90 km2 (11,436.69 sq mi)	100/km2 (260/sq mi)	Calapan
Bicol Region (Region V)		5,796,989 (5.7%)	18,155.82 km2 (7,010.00 sq mi)	320/km2 (830/sq mi)	Legazpi
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)		1,722,006 (1.7%)	19,422.03 km2 (7,498.89 sq mi)	89/km2 (230/sq mi)	Baguio
National Capital Region (NCR)		12,877,253 (12.8%)	611.39 km2 (236.06 sq mi)	21,000/km2 (54,000/sq mi)	Manila

Table note(s):

Tectonics

Main article: Philippine Mobile Belt

Lake Pinatubo in Zambales

Luzon is part of the Philippine Mobile Belt, a fast deforming plate boundary zone (Gervasio, 1967) hemmed in between two opposing subduction zones, the west-dipping Philippine Trench-East Luzon Trench subduction zone, and the east-dipping north–south trending Manila Trench-Negros Trench-Cotabato Trench. The Philippine Sea Plate subducts under eastern Luzon along the East Luzon Trench and the Philippine Trench, while the South China Sea basin, part of the Eurasian plate, subducts under western Luzon along the Manila Trench.

The North-Southeastern trending braided left-lateral strike-slip Philippine Fault System traverses Luzon, from Quezon province and Bicol to the northwestern part of the island. This fault system takes up part of the motion due to the subducting plates and produces large earthquakes. Southwest of Luzon is a collision zone where the Palawan micro-block collides with SW Luzon, producing a highly seismic zone near Mindoro island. Southwest Luzon is characterized by a highly volcanic zone, called the Macolod Corridor, a region of crustal thinning and spreading.

Using geologic and structural data, seven principal blocks were identified in Luzon in 1989: the Sierra Madre Oriental, Angat, Zambales, Central Cordillera of Luzon, Bicol, and Catanduanes Island blocks. Using seismic and geodetic data, Luzon was modeled by Galgana et al. (2007) as a series of six micro blocks or micro plates (separated by subduction zones and intra-arc faults), all translating and rotating in different directions, with maximum velocities ~100 mm/yr NW with respect to Sundaland/Eurasia.

Demographics

Population census of Luzon
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	30,782,432	—
2000	39,584,158	+2.55%
2010	48,520,774	+2.06%
2015	53,336,134	+1.82%
Source: National Statistics Office

As of the 2015 census, the population of Luzon Island is 53,336,134 people, making it the 4th most populated island in the world.

Cities

A view of Quezon City in September 2017, the largest city in Luzon island

Metro Manila is the most populous of the 3 defined metropolitan areas in the Philippines and the 11th most populous in the world. as of 2007, census data showed it had a population of 11,553,427, comprising 13% of the national population. Including suburbs in the adjacent provinces (Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal) of Greater Manila, the population is around 21 million.

Quezon City

Manila

Angeles

Baguio

Tarlac City

Lipa

Batangas City

Cabanatuan

Lucena

San Pablo

Puerto Princesa

Mabalacat

Olongapo

Legazpi

Naga

San Carlos

Dagupan

Sorsogon City

Tuguegarao

Ilagan

San Jose

San Jose

Santiago

Nasugbu

Calapan

Tabaco

Urdaneta

Cauayan

La Trinidad

Mariveles

Talavera

San Fernando

Guimba

Bayambang

Tanay

Santa Cruz

Iriga

Ligao

Norzagaray

Laoag

Tabuk

Gapan

Libmanan

Daet

Naujan

Labo

Largest cities and municipalities in the Luzon island group
(2015 Census, 100,000+ inhabitants)

Ethnic groups

An Ifugao warrior with some of his trophies, Cordillera Mountains, circa 1912

Seven major Philippine ethnolinguistic groups predominate Luzon. Ilocanos dominate northern Luzon, while Kapampangans and Pangasinenses, as well as Tagalogs and Sambals, populate Central Luzon. Tagalogs dominate the National Capital Region, Calabarzon and the island provinces of Marinduque and Mindoro, while Bicolanos populate the southern Bicol peninsula. Visayans mainly predominate in the island provinces of Masbate, Palawan and Romblon.

Other ethnic groups lesser in population include the Aetas of Zambales and Bataan, the Ibanags of Cagayan and Isabela, along with smaller groups like the Gaddang of Nueva Vizcaya, and the Igorot/Cordillerans of the Cordilleras.

Further information: Ethnic groups of the Philippines

Due to recent migrations, populations of Chinese and Moros have also been present in urban areas. Mixed-race populations of Spanish, Americans, Japanese, Koreans, Indians, and Arabs are also visible. The Chinese and their mixed-raced descendants are spread all across Luzon. According to old Spanish censuses, around 1/3rd of the population of Luzon are admixed with either Spanish or Latino descent (Mostly in Cavite and Manila) Most Americans have settled in Central Luzon's highly urbanized cities of Angeles and Olongapo due to the former presence of the U.S. air and naval bases in there, while a majority of the Koreans and Japanese have mainly settled in the major cities and towns.

Languages

Main article: Languages of the Philippines

Dominant languages per administrative region.

Almost all of the languages of Luzon belong to the Philippine group of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family. Major regional languages include: Tagalog, Ilocano, Bicolano, Kapampangan, and Pangasinan.

English is spoken by many inhabitants. The use of Spanish as an official language declined following the American occupation of the Philippines. Almost inexistent among the general populace, Spanish is still used by the elderly of some families of great tradition (Rizal, Liboro...).

Saint Augustine Catholic Church in Paoay

Religion

Main article: Religion in the Philippines

Like most of the Philippines, the major religion in Luzon is Christianity, with Roman Catholicism being the major denomination. Other major sects includes Jehovah's Witnesses, Protestantism, the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayans), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and the Iglesia ni Cristo. Indigenous traditions and rituals, though rare, are also present.

There are also sizable communities of Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims in Metro Manila and in other, especially, urban areas due to the immigration of Moros and Chinese to the island.

EDSA, a major thoroughfare in Metro Manila

Economy

The economy of the island is centered in Metro Manila with Makati serving as the main economic and financial hub. Major companies such as Ayala, Jollibee Foods Corporation, SM Group, and Metrobank are based in the business districts of Makati, Ortigas Center, and Bonifacio Global City. Industry is concentrated in and around the urban areas of Metro Manila while agriculture predominates in the other regions of the island producing crops such as rice, bananas, mangoes, coconuts, pineapple, and coffee. Other sectors include livestock raising, tourism, mining, and fishing.

See also

Other articles of the topic Philippines : Ang Dating Daan
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• Regions of the Philippines
• Provinces of the Philippines
• Battle of Luzon
• Visayas
• Mindanao

Further reading

• Agoncillo, Teodoro A.; Guerrero, Milagros (1975). History of the Filipino People (4 ed.). R. P. Garcia. ISBN 9712345386. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1962). Philippine History. Inang Wika Publishing Company. ISBN 9712345386. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Alip, Eufronio Melo (1954). Political and Cultural History of the Philippines, Volumes 1-2 (revised ed.). Alip & Sons. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Antonio, Eleanor D.; Dallo, Evangeline M.; Imperial, Consuelo M.; Samson, Maria Carmelita B.; Soriano, Celia D. (2007). Turning Points I' 2007 Ed (unabridged ed.). Rex Bookstore, Inc. ISBN 978-9712345388. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Bishop, Carl Whiting (1942). War Background Studies, Issues 1-7. Contributor: Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Bishop, Carl Whiting (1942). Origin of Far Eastern Civilizations: A Brief Handbook, Issues 1–7. Contributor: Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Corpuz, Onofre D. (1957). The bureaucracy in the Philippines. Institute of Public Administration, University of the Philippines. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Demetrio, Francisco R. (1981). Myths and Symbols: Philippines (2 ed.). National Book Store. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Del Castillo y Tuazon, Antonio (1988). Princess Urduja, Queen of the Orient Seas: Before and After Her Time in the Political Orbit of the Shri-vi-ja-ya and Madjapahit Maritime Empire : a Pre-Hispanic History of the Philippines. A. del. Castillo y Tuazon. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Farwell, George (1967). Mask of Asia: The Philippines Today. Praeger. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Fitzgerald, Charles Patrick (1966). A concise history of East Asia. Praeger. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Ho, Khai Leong, ed. (2009). Connecting and Distancing: Southeast Asia and China (illustrated ed.). Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-9812308566. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Karnow, Stanley (2010). In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines (unabridged ed.). Random House LLC. ISBN 978-0307775436. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Krieger, Herbert William (1942). Peoples of the Philippines, Issue 4. 3694 of Publication (Smithsonian Institution). Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 9780598408662. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Lucman, Norodin Alonto (2000). Moro Archives: A History of Armed Conflicts in Mindanao and East Asia. FLC Press. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Liao, Shubert S. C., ed. (1964). Chinese participation in Philippine culture and economy. Bookman. Archived from the original on Nov 9, 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Manuel, Esperidion Arsenio (1948). Chinese Elements in the Tagalog Language: With Some Indication of Chinese Influence on Other Philippine Languages and Cultures, and an Excursion Into Austronesian Linguistics. Contributor: Henry Otley Beyer. Filipiniana Publications. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Ostelius, Hans Arvid (1963). Islands of Pleasure: A Guide to the Philippines. G. Allen & Unwin. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Panganiban, José Villa; Panganiban, Consuelo Torres (1965). The literature of the Pilipinos: a survey (5 ed.). Limbagang Pilipino. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Panganiban, José Villa; Panganiban, Consuelo Torres- (1962). A Survey of the Literature of the Filipinos (4 ed.). Limbagang Pilipino. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Quirino, Carlos (1963). Philippine Cartography, 1320–1899 (2 ed.). N. Israel. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Ravenholt, Albert (1962). The Philippines: A Young Republic on the Move. Van Nostrand. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Sevilla, Fred; Balagtas, Francisco (1997). Francisco Balagtas and the roots of Filipino nationalism: life and times of the great Filipino poet and his legacy of literary excellence and political activism. Trademark Pub. Corp. ISBN 9789719185802. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Spencer, Cornelia (1951). Seven Thousand Islands: The Story of the Philippines. Aladdin Books. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Tan, Antonio S. (1972). The Chinese in the Philippines, 1898–1935: A Study of Their National Awakening. R. P. Garcia Publishing Company. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Zaide, Gregorio F. (1957). The Philippines since pre-Spanish times.-v. 2. The Philippines since the British invasion. 1 of Philippine Political and Cultural History (revised ed.). Philippine Education Company. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Zaide, Gregorio F. (1979). The Pageant of Philippine History: Political, Economic, and Socio-cultural, Volume 1. Philippine Education Company. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Philippines (Republic). Office of Cultural Affairs (1965). The Philippines: a Handbook of Information. Contributor: National Economic Council (Philippines) (revised ed.). Republic of the Philippines, Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Philippine Chinese Historical Association (1975). The Annals of Philippine Chinese Historical Association, Volumes 5–8 (revised ed.). Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• IAHA Conference (1962). Biennial Conference Proceedings, Issue 1. Philippine Historical Association. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• The Philippines: A Handbook of Information. Contributor: Philippine Information Agency. Philippine Information Agency. 1955. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• University of Manila Journal of East Asiatic Studies, Volume 7. Contributors: Manila (Philippines) University, University of Manila (revised ed.). University of Manila. 1959. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Unitas, Volume 30, Issues 1–2. Contributor: University of Santo Tomás. University of Santo Tomás. 1957. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• The Researcher, Volume 2, Issue 2. Contributors: University of Pangasinan, Dagupan Colleges. Dagupan Colleges. 1970. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Philippine Social Sciences and Humanities Review, Volumes 24–25. Contributor: University of the Philippines. College of Liberal Arts. 1959. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Philippine Social Sciences and Humanities Reviews, Volume 24, Issues 1–2. Contributors: Philippine Academy of Social Sciences, Manila, University of the Philippines. College of Liberal Arts. College of Liberal Arts, University of the Philippines. 1959. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Studies in Public Administration, Issue 4. Contributor: University of the Philippines. Institute of Public Administration. Institute of Public Administration, University of the Philippines. 1957. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Proceedings [of The] Second Biennial Conference, Held at Taiwan Provincial Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. Republic of China, October 6–9, 1962. Tʻai-pei. 1963. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Yearbook. 1965. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on
• Philippine Almanac & Handbook of Facts. 1977. Retrieved 24 April 2014. Search this book on

External links

• Media related to [[commons:|]] at Wikimedia Commons
• The dictionary definition of Luzon at Wiktionary
• [[voy:Luzon#|Luzon]] travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Geographic data related to Luzon at OpenStreetMap
• "Luzon" . The American Cyclopædia. 1879.

📰 Article(s) of the same category(ies)

• Visayas
• Mindanao

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