- Cebú
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/se booh"/, n.1. an island in the S central Philippines. 2,091,602; 1703 sq. mi. (4411 sq. km).2. a seaport on this island. 490,281.
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Island (pop., 2000 : 2,377,588) and (with adjacent islets) province, central Philippines.It is 139 mi (224 km) long and about 20 mi (32 km) wide, with an area of 1,707 sq mi (4,421 sq km). Its chief city is Cebu City. A mountain chain extends its entire length. It is separated from Bohol Island by Bohol Strait and from Negros Island by Tanon Strait. Visited by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, it was occupied by the Spanish in 1565. It is one of the Philippines' most densely populated islands; it produces coal and copper.* * *
island, central Philippines. It is the centre of Visayan-Cebuano culture and has preserved a strong Spanish tradition in its cultural life. Attracted by the island's focal position, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan (Magellan, Ferdinand) landed there and converted the ruler and chiefs to Christianity. He later was killed on nearby Mactan Island. There are numerous relics of the event in Cebu City.The island of Cebu is 122 miles (196 km) long; nowhere does it exceed 20 miles (32 km) in width. The surrounding waters are the Visayan Sea (north), Tanon Strait (west), Bohol Strait (southeast), and Camotes Sea (east). Bisected by a range of low volcanic hills, the island has very little level land except for the Bogo Plain in the far north, which is mainly a commercial sugarcane area. There are few harbours, and the settlement pattern is one of numerous small agricultural villages that grow corn (maize), coconuts, yams, agave, and tobacco. Cebu suffers from both overpopulation and soil depletion. There was extensive timber cutting for the building of Spanish galleons on the historic Manila–Acapulco route, and the land was further impaired by the erosive powers of the island's short, rapid rivers and by poor agricultural methods. The Central Cebu National Park (1937), encompassing a triangular area (38,049 acres [15,394 hectares]) between Balamban, Toledo City, and Cebu City, constitutes the only remaining forest on the island. The island also has a game and bird sanctuary.Cebu was probably the first Philippine island to cultivate corn on a widespread basis after that plant's introduction by the Spaniards. Coarse-ground corn remains the staple food, though grain is imported from Mindanao, for Cebu is not agriculturally self-sufficient. Cebu's manufacturing industries are limited primarily to food processing. Coal, copper, limestone, gold, and silver are mined in the central hill country of the island. In addition to Cebu City, the major settlements on Cebu are Danao, Lapu-Lapu (formerly Opon), Toledo, and Mandaue. Area 1,707 square miles (4,422 square km). Pop. (2000) Cebu and smaller adjacent islands, 3,356,137.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
