Mactan
| Mactan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Lake Camotes ( Pacific Ocean ) | |
| Archipelago | Philippines | |
| Geographical location | 10 ° 18 ′ N , 123 ° 59 ′ E | |
|
||
| Residents | 251.051 (2000) | |
 |
||
Mactan is an island of the Philippine archipelago of the Visayas and extends east of the elongated island of Cebu in the Strait of Cebu immediately opposite the city of Cebu City and Mandaue City .
geography
The island is part of the province of Cebu and is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the independently administered municipality of Cordova . The island is connected to the city of Mandaue City by two bridges, the Marcelo Fernan Bridge (Mactan II Bridge) and the older one, the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge . 5 km to the southeast is the smaller island of Olango , separated by the Hilutungan Channel , in which the island of Gilutongan Island is also located. The island of Mactan is counted among the waters of the Danajon reef system in the south of the Camotes Sea . The island consists mainly of limestone , which was formed by ancient coral reefs, which is also clearly visible on its northern, still unspoilt coast.
Marcelo Fernan Bridge
The Marcelo Fernan Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge and spans the Mactan Canal.
Opened in August 1999, it relieved the traffic chaos that the old Mactan-Mandaue Bridge was no longer able to cope with.
It has a wingspan of 1237 meters. The bridge is one of the longest and widest in the country. It was named in honor of Senator Marcelo Fernan, an important political figure in Cebu City.
history
Mactan is also known for the Battle of Mactan , the first skirmish between Filipinos and Europeans and the associated death of Ferdinand Magellan during the first circumnavigation in history.
Magellan died in an unsuccessful attack on the island's inhabitants in 1521 at the hand of the chief Lapu-Lapu , who refused to recognize the sovereignty of the Raja Humabon of Cebu and the Spanish crown .
additional Information
According to the 2000 census, the island has a population of 251,051 people. The main language is Cebuano , also called Visayan.
Mactan is home to the second most important airport in the Philippines, Mactan-Cebu Airport , as well as the cargo and passenger port of Cebu City. The island is also known for the numerous beaches, resorts and hotels that have been developed for tourism.
The island is known nationwide for its musical products, especially guitars and ukuleles .
