Massive Earthquake Strikes Mindanao Island in the Philippines

#GS-2 #International #Current Events #Geography #Disaster Management #Physical Geography

Context

A huge earthquake of magnitude 8.1 hit near the coast of Mindanao island located in the southern part of the Philippines.
This natural disaster caused the deaths of at least 17 people and left more than 200 people injured.

The Philippines is a tropical island nation in Southeast Asia with a unique culture.
The country consists of a large group of more than 7,000 islands and islets.
It holds a unique place in Asia as one of only two predominantly Roman Catholic nations alongside East Timor.
It also stands as the second most-populous Asian country that uses English as an official language.
The capital of the country is Manila, which sits on Luzon, the largest northern island.

The triangular island group sits in the Western Pacific Ocean.
It lies roughly 800 kilometers or 500 miles away from the coast of Vietnam.
Four different bodies of water surround the nation.
These surrounding waters are the Philippine Sea, the Celebes Sea, the Sulu Sea, and the South China Sea.

Geographers divide the island nation into three main groups named Luzon in the north, the Visayas in the center, and Mindanao in the south.
The country rests on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which makes it very vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The nation contains about 50 volcanoes, and more than 10 of them are currently active.
Mountain ranges shape the landforms across the major islands.
On Luzon, the Sierra Madre stands as the longest range while the Cordillera Central encloses the fertile Cagayan Valley.
On Mindanao, the Diuata Mountains dominate the landscape and Mount Apo reaches 2,954 meters as the highest peak in the country.
Important rivers drain the major valleys and plains.
The Cagayan River drains northern Luzon, while the Agno and Pampanga rivers supply water to the Central Plain.
The Mindanao River drains the Cotabato Valley.
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River in Palawan is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site that flows straight into the sea.
Several major lakes are spread across the islands.
Laguna de Bay serves as the largest lake in the nation.
Taal Lake holds an active volcano inside its crater lake.
Lake Lanao is the biggest freshwater lake located on Mindanao island.
The country sits inside the western Pacific typhoon belt and faces about 25 tropical cyclones every year.
Provinces like Samar, Leyte, and Luzon suffer the highest damage from these storms.