Dinagat (island)

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Dinagat
Waters Philippine Sea
Archipelago Dinagat Islands
Geographical location 10 ° 6 ′  N , 125 ° 36 ′  E Coordinates: 10 ° 6 ′  N , 125 ° 36 ′  E
Location of Dinagat
length 60 km
width 20 km
surface 769.2 km²
Highest elevation Redondo
929  m
main place San Jose

Dinagat is an island in the east of the Philippines that belongs to the Philippine province of Dinagat Islands and is located in the Philippine Sea .

The seat of the provincial government is in the municipality of San Jose in the southwest of the island.

geography

In the north of the island extends Leyte Gulf , the west, the island is Leyte , opposite the Surigao Strait . In the south is the province of Surigao del Norte , the northeastern part of the island of Mindanao with the islands of Gaboc Channel and Nonoc belonging to it. The islands of Awasan Bay, Hanigad and Hikdop, also belonging to Surigao del Norte, are located in the southwest. The Philippine Sea opens to the east . 30 km to the southeast are the islands of Siargao and Bucas Grande .

The island extends from north to south over a length of 60 km, its width is 20 km and its area is 769.2 km². The highest point is the Redondo in the north of the island of Dinagat with 929 m.

The island is a well-known tourist destination and is characterized by numerous large and jagged rock formations, interesting caves, mountain lakes and bays. These are a find area for gemstones .

fauna

In addition to sea ​​eagles and green turtles , three endemic mammal species live on the island, including the Dinagat rat hedgehog ( Podogymnura aureospinula ), the Dinagat bark rat ( Crateromys australis ) and the Dinagat hairtail rat ( Batomys russatus ). Other species include the Silberfischer ( Alcedo argentata ), the Mindanaohornvogel ( Aceros leucocephalus ), the Brightwings Sunbird ( Aethopyga pulcherrima ), the Green-backed Sunbird ( Cinnyris vein ), the red-vented cockatoo ( Cacatua haematuropygia ), the Philippine Tarsier ( Tarsius syrichta ) , the flying fox species Desmalopex leucopterus and the Philippine sailing lizard ( Hydrosaurus pustulatus ).

Population, language and religion

The Surigaonon ethnic group is the largest of the ethnic groups in this area. Other ethnic groups in the province are Filipinos of Chinese , Japanese and Arab origins. European and American influences are also evident in the culture of this area.

About 95% of the people use the Surigaonon dialect. The languages Cebuano and Boholano are, though with a Tausug provided -Akzent but equally common. Other minorities speak Waray-Waray and Tagalog , with most of them also speaking English .

The predominant religion is the Roman Catholic Church . Other popular beliefs are the Aglipayan Church and Protestants . The headquarters of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, Inc., a pseudo-Christian sect founded in Dinagat in 1965, is located in the San Jose community.

In the local pre-Christian religion, the island is regarded as the “holy land”, as the god of the typhoons was persuaded by Da , the god of peace, to stop his attacks on the islands.

Administrative division

As part of the Dinagat Islands province, there are 7 independently administered municipalities on the island:

These communities are in turn subdivided into a total of 100 barangays (districts).

history

Founded in 1855, Dinagat municipality is the oldest on the island.

During the Second World War , the waters off the island were the scene of one of the most important battles of the Pacific War, the sea ​​and air battle in the Gulf of Leyte , which also took place in the Strait of Surigao . Dinagat was the entrance gate of the Philippine-American liberation forces before General Douglas MacArthur's return to Leyte (→ Battle of Leyte ). The US general said Dinagat was one of the "three islands that protect the (southern) Philippines from enemies from the Pacific."

In 1960 Dinagat became part of the new province of Surigao del Norte, in 2006 an independent province of Dinagat Islands was established.

Attractions

  • The Mancono jungle
  • The Cambinli Falls and the river at Loreto
  • The island of Pangabangan near Libjo
  • Biasong Beach near Diganat
  • Key Island near Diganat

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. http://islands.unep.ch/IHE.htm#884