Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Island of Cebu


Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands. Cebu is a long narrow island stretching 225 kilometres from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighbouring smaller islands, that includes Mactan, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. Cebu has a narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus and a coastal plains. It also has a predominant rolling hills and a rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island. Cebu's highest mountains are over 1000 metres high. Flat tracts of land can be found in the towns of Bogo, San Remigio, Medellin and Daanbantayan at the northern region of the province. Its capital is Cebu City, the oldest city in the Philippines which forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan Area together with four neighbouring cities which include Danao City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City and Talisay City and eight other municipalities. Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Mactan island, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines.

Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, with Cebu City as the main centre of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas. The United Kingdom based Condé Nast Traveler Magazine named Cebu the seventh best island destination in the Indian Ocean-Asia region in 2007, eighth best Asian-Pacific island destination in 2005, seventh in 2004 and in 2009.