Leyte (province)
The Leyte Province is a province of the island nation of the Philippines. It extends across the northern part of the island of Leyte and is one of six provinces of the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII). On 8 November 2013, the Typhoon Haiyan devastated the province of Leyte.
The provincial capital is Tacloban City.
Geography
The Leyte Province is the largest province in the Eastern Visayas District and comprises the northern 75 % of the island of Leyte. In the east, it separates the San Juanico Strait from the neighboring island of Samar in the south it borders the province of Southern Leyte and north again lies the island province of Biliran. West of the province, the Camotes Sea opens on the opposite side of the island of Cebu extends. For the province include, among others Calangaman Iceland.
The largest cities are Tacloban City, located in the northeast of the province and at the same time also represents the district center, and Ormoc City in the west. Tacloban City is the oldest of the three cities of Leyte and has an almost metropolitan character.
The province is especially heavily populated along the coasts, while the domestic is presented mountainous and covered by hills. The lowland areas are mostly located in coastal areas or in the alluvial plains and river deltas that are formed by the large water flows. The largest lowland area, the Leyte Sab -a Basin is behind the northeastern Zentralgebirgszug. The second largest level is the Ormoc Valley, which spreads framed by mountains on the western side of the island. Other lowland areas are smaller and are found along the coast and near the mouths of rivers in the western and southern Leyte.
The Mt Kankahanay near Jaro is 1,219 m the highest mountain in the province. An active volcano is located on the territory of the province, the 860 meter high Mahagnao.
Leyte has a total area of 5712.8 km ².
Demography and language
According to the census of 2007 living in Leyte 1,722,036 people. The province thus occupies the 24th place of the most populous provinces of the Philippines.
The population density is 301 people per km ². This means the 12th place in the demographic statistics of the country.
The inhabitants are divided into two main groups, the decisive differ in their language and origin. In the west and south, the Cebuanos live in the north and east of the Waray.
The Cebuanos with their dialect Cebuano have historical connections to the island inhabitants of the neighboring island of Cebu, the most populous province in the Visayas. The Waray, however, one an independent language, the Waray Waray - with their neighbors on Samar.
Economy
The economic development in the province is strongly influenced by the agricultural industry. Rice cultivation dominated mainly around the lower flatter areas, especially around the capital Tacloban, while coconut palm trees that serve in particular the production of coconut oil, characterize the more mountainous regions.
Fishing is the livelihood of coastal populations, which are species-rich waters around the island and countless freshwater streams inland from Leyte available.
Political Structure
Leyte is subdivided into 40 municipalities and 3 cities independently managed. This in turn ( districts ) are divided into a total of 1,641 barangays.
The province is further divided into five congressional districts.
Ormoc City is an independent city of the province of Leyte. The city government is fully independent from the provincial administration, as well as the inhabitants, which is enshrined in the City Charter, have no voting rights for the election of officers of the provincial government.
Cities
- Ormoc City
- Tacloban City
- Baybay City
Communities
- Abuyog
- Alangalang
- Albuera
- Babatngon
- Barugo
- Bato
- Burauen
- Calubian
- Capoocan
- Carigara
- Dagami
- Dulag
- Hilongos
- Hindang
- Inopacan
- Isabel
- Jaro
- Javier ( Bugho )
- Julita
- Kananga
- La Paz
- Leyte
- MacArthur
- MAHAPLAG
- MATAG - whether
- Matalom
- Mayorga
- Palo
- Palompon
- Pastrana
- San Isidro
- San Miguel
- Santa Fe
- Tabango
- Tabontabon
- Tanauan
- Tolosa
- Tunga
- Villalba
History
Long before the Europeans arrived, there were already trade relations between the Filipinos with China and other neighboring countries. On March 28, 1521, the Portuguese navigator and explorer Ferdinand Magellan found a sea route, which led to Leyte its course over. A little later he reached the island Limasawa at the southern tip of the isle. Here he met the local ruler Rajah Kolambu and his brother Rajah Siagu, the chief of Butu ( Mindanao ).
The discoverer Ruy López de Villalobos arrived in 1543 as the first European in the actual island region of Leyte and named the island " Las Islas Felipinas " according to the Spanish throne, later King Philip II of Spain.
In 1595 the Jesuits established their first mission on Leyte. At this time, only 19 pueblos ( towns) were with a total population of 70,000 people on the island, who were converted by missionaries to Christianity.
A royal decree, issued on July 31, 1860, ordered a reorganization of the provincial government of the entire Visayas group. Leyte was then classified as a third class province and had management responsibility for a total of 28 pueblos. The political-military structure of government existed until the end of Spanish rule in 1898.
With the mission to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese occupation, General Douglas MacArthur led one of the largest fleets of transport and warships in the history of the United States to the coast of Leyte. On 20 October 1944, the armed forces landed under the leadership McArthur and escort the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Sergio Osmeña and Carlos P. Romulo, in Palo, Leyte to initiate the liberation of the country. The landing point at which General MacArthur the traditional words "I have returned" (Eng. I have returned ) exclaimed, today is one of the most significant memorial of the island nation. Furthermore, it came to the Japanese counter-offensive that. During the Battle of Leyte and finally into the largest naval battle in history, the sea and air battle culminated in the Gulf of Leyte Not less than 212 Allied ships met about 60 combat ships of the Japanese Navy, including the large battleships Yamato and Musashi.
On May 22, 1959 contact into force of Republic Act No. 2227, the island province into two separate provinces, Leyte and Southern Leyte, divided. Some years later, on 11 May 1992, also Biliran was appointed to an autonomous island province and reduced the number of municipalities located in their jurisdiction to another eight villages.
Climate
The province is dominated by two climate categories. The East is characterized by the type II climate, which is characterized by very heavy rainfall from November to February. The western part belongs to the climatic type IV, the rainy days can occur throughout the year, more or less. The driest months are in the period from August to September.
Universities
Attractions
- The gene. Douglas Macarthur Landing Memorial
- The San Juanico Bridge in Tacloban City
- The Sto. Niño Shrine and the Cultural Museum in Tacloban City
- The Lake Danao in Ormoc City
- The Breakneck Ridge in Capoocan,
- The Dio Mainland Resort
- The San Juanico Strait
- The Red Beach
- The Mahagnao National Park
- Cuatro Islas Protected Landscape / Seascape
- The Tongonan Hotsprings National Park
- The Bito Lake on the east coast Leytes
- The Kuapnit Balinsasayaw National Park
- The main campus of the Visayas State University