Settlement History and Patterns:
The Philippines is an island country of Southeast Asia located in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of about 7,100 islands and islets. The most populous city is Quezon City, which is located on the largest island Luzon. The Philippines is also the second most populous country with English as an official language. So how did this archipelago grow into the country it is today?
The first settlers in the Philippines were the Negrito, Proto-Malay, and Malay peoples. They first settled sporadically throughout the islands, until a common patterned evolved. Their basic settlement was a barangay- a kinship group headed by a chief. It is believed that the Negrito people crossed a bridge from Malaysia to the Philippines during the ice age. The dominant group of field rice farmers settled in the northern region of Luzon. European settlers arrived in the Philippines in 1572 and were of Spanish origin. They were apart of Spanish expeditions around the world. Around 500,000 people lived in Barangays when the Spanish arrived. Spain ruled the Philippines for around 333 years during the colonization of the islands.
The plains along the mountains, central plains in Luzon and Panay in particular, have had the greatest populations in the islands. This is most likely due to the rich and fertile soils along the land. Alluvial plains and terraces throughout Luzon are suitable for growing rice and corn. Many people who reside in these central plain rely on corn, rice, and fish for substance. These rich soils are most likely what attracted the Negrito rice farmers to claim their territory in Luzon when the first arrived on the islands.
The tropical climate of the Philippines provides a constant climate throughout the islands during the year. Cities of higher elevation tend to have cooler climates than cities with lower elevations. The monsoonal climate is also ideal for farming, with wet period and dry periods. These periods allow time for seeds to spread and soil to become rich and fertilized.
During the Spanish rule, several charters were granted to form cities. Such as, Manila, Cebu, Jaro, and Naga. Charters were also granted under the US administration for the Metropolitan Manilla. As the islands began to colonize the population spread from the northern mountains into the central plains, such as manila. The population density is high but the distribution of the Philippine population is uneven. Parts of Metro Manilla have 100 times more than the outlying areas such as the northern mountains of Luzon. This is most likely caused by the advancements in technology. People no longer need to rely on the rich soils to grow their food, because the farmers in rural areas can transport their rice to the urban areas.
Sources:
[Climate Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://retiringinthephilippines.com/information/maps/
Philippine Early History. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_history/early_history.html
Philippines | history - geography. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines
Population Density by City [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://vm.observatory.ph/exposure.html
The Philippines is an island country of Southeast Asia located in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of about 7,100 islands and islets. The most populous city is Quezon City, which is located on the largest island Luzon. The Philippines is also the second most populous country with English as an official language. So how did this archipelago grow into the country it is today?
The first settlers in the Philippines were the Negrito, Proto-Malay, and Malay peoples. They first settled sporadically throughout the islands, until a common patterned evolved. Their basic settlement was a barangay- a kinship group headed by a chief. It is believed that the Negrito people crossed a bridge from Malaysia to the Philippines during the ice age. The dominant group of field rice farmers settled in the northern region of Luzon. European settlers arrived in the Philippines in 1572 and were of Spanish origin. They were apart of Spanish expeditions around the world. Around 500,000 people lived in Barangays when the Spanish arrived. Spain ruled the Philippines for around 333 years during the colonization of the islands.
The plains along the mountains, central plains in Luzon and Panay in particular, have had the greatest populations in the islands. This is most likely due to the rich and fertile soils along the land. Alluvial plains and terraces throughout Luzon are suitable for growing rice and corn. Many people who reside in these central plain rely on corn, rice, and fish for substance. These rich soils are most likely what attracted the Negrito rice farmers to claim their territory in Luzon when the first arrived on the islands.
The tropical climate of the Philippines provides a constant climate throughout the islands during the year. Cities of higher elevation tend to have cooler climates than cities with lower elevations. The monsoonal climate is also ideal for farming, with wet period and dry periods. These periods allow time for seeds to spread and soil to become rich and fertilized.
During the Spanish rule, several charters were granted to form cities. Such as, Manila, Cebu, Jaro, and Naga. Charters were also granted under the US administration for the Metropolitan Manilla. As the islands began to colonize the population spread from the northern mountains into the central plains, such as manila. The population density is high but the distribution of the Philippine population is uneven. Parts of Metro Manilla have 100 times more than the outlying areas such as the northern mountains of Luzon. This is most likely caused by the advancements in technology. People no longer need to rely on the rich soils to grow their food, because the farmers in rural areas can transport their rice to the urban areas.
Sources:
[Climate Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://retiringinthephilippines.com/information/maps/
Philippine Early History. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_history/early_history.html
Philippines | history - geography. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines
Population Density by City [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://vm.observatory.ph/exposure.html
For information on the earliest settlements in the Philippines visit:
Early Filipino history http://pinas.dlsu.edu.ph/history/history.html This website provides information about the early tribes and settlements during spanish colonization until present time.
First Settlement http://www.philippine-islands.ph/en/philippine_history.html this website discusses the first recorded visit to the Philippine islands.
Early Filipino history http://pinas.dlsu.edu.ph/history/history.html This website provides information about the early tribes and settlements during spanish colonization until present time.
First Settlement http://www.philippine-islands.ph/en/philippine_history.html this website discusses the first recorded visit to the Philippine islands.
Population Pyramids:
Sources:
Philippines 1970 [Chart]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://populationpyramid.net/philippines/1970/
Philippines 2015 [Chart]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://populationpyramid.net/philippines/2015/
Philippines 1970 [Chart]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://populationpyramid.net/philippines/1970/
Philippines 2015 [Chart]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://populationpyramid.net/philippines/2015/