The New International Encyclopædia/Mindanao

MINDANAO, mē̇n′dȧ-nä′o. The second in importance and, according to the latest official estimate, the first in size of the Philippine Islands. It is the southernmost of the large islands of the archipelago, between latitude 5° 21′ and 9° 50′ N., and between longitude 121° 53′ and 126° 28′ E., about 220 miles northeast of Borneo and 270 miles north of Celebes (Map: Philippine Islands, J 12). It is bounded on the north by the channels and seas separating it from the islands of Leyte, Bohol, Cebú, and Negros, the narrowest of these channels being the Strait of Surigao, 7 miles wide, separating the northeastern extremity of the island from Leyte. On the east Mindanao is bounded by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Celebes Sea, and on the west by the Sulu Sea.

Area and Configuration. As Mindanao has never been thoroughly surveyed, its area can only be given approximately. It has been estimated as low as 30,237 square miles, including its dependent islands. The official estimate of 1902, however, gives as the area of the mainland, 45,559 square miles, which is larger than that for Luzon (q.v.), and of the 264 dependent islands, 1162 square miles, making a total of 46,721, which, even excluding the dependent islands, is larger than that of the State of Pennsylvania. Mindanao, like Luzon, is very irregular in outline. It consists of a main body about 300 miles long from north to south and 150 miles broad, with a long, irregular peninsula stretching in a semicircle for 180 miles from the centre of the western coast, where it is connected by an isthmus between the Bay of Iligan on the north, and the Bay of Illana on the south. There are numerous other large and small bays on all sides of the island, among which the large and deep Bay of Dávao indenting the south coast is one of the finest and largest of the archipelago. Of the dependent islands the principal (with their areas in square miles) are the following: Camiguín (65) off the north coast. Dinágat (258) and Siargao (176) on the northeast, Sámal (178) in the Bay of Dávao, Balut (42) and Sarangani (25) to the southeast, Olutanga (36) south of the western peninsula, and Basilan (304) forming with about 50 small islets a separate province at the extreme southwestern end.

Topography. The coasts as a rule consist of sandy beaches interrupted by numerous rocky headlands. Almost everywhere the forest-covered mountains approach close to the shores, and the interior is in general very mountainous, containing the highest peaks in the Philippines, such as Mount Malindang, 8697 feet high, in the northwestern part, and the volcano of Apo, 10,312 feet, west of Dávao Bay. The mountain system consists of a number of irregular, broken, and roughly parallel chains traversing the island from north to south, and inclosing between them large and fertile river valleys. The configuration of the mountains in many places bears evidence of having been influenced and even originated by volcanic action. There are several active and a number of extinct volcanoes, while plains of volcanic matter as well as sulphur and hot springs occur, and the island is subject to frequent and violent earthquakes. Very little, however, is known of the geology of Mindanao.

Hydrography. The two principal river systems lie on either side of the central mountain range, both of them running almost the entire length of the island. On the east is the Agusan, running northward into the Bay of Butúan; on the west is the Rio Grande de Mindoro, running south, then west into the Bay of Illana, and rivaling in size the Cagayán of Luzon. Both of these systems include several large lakes. Owing to the proximity of the mountains to the coasts, most of the remaining rivers of Mindanao are short and torrential.

Climate. Being situated at the southern end of the archipelago, within 10° of the equator, and being less exposed to cooling winds than the northern islands, Mindanao has a hot and humid climate. The warm and moisture-laden south winds are particularly enervating, though the land breezes from the mountains are cool and refreshing. The climate is more equable than that of Luzon, and the island is seldom touched by the typhoons, which rage only among the northern islands. The rainfall is very heavy, often exceeding 100 inches, and reaching sometimes 140 inches in a year. Several parts of the island are subject to destructive inundations.

Flora and Fauna (for general description see Philippines). The vegetation of Mindanao, even compared with the rest of the archipelago, is remarkably luxuriant. Almost the whole island is covered with forests so interwoven with canes and vines as to form in many places an impenetrable jungle. The flora partakes of the character of that of Celebes and the Moluccas; cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices, and betel-nuts grow wild, and the forests abound in the most valuable building timber and cabinet woods.

The animal life is equally abundant and varied, including, besides the species common to all the islands, many species peculiar to Mindanao. Monkeys are very numerous, and especially characteristic is the white monkey (Macacus Philippinensis). Reptiles, including venomous snakes, abound, and the rivers are infested with crocodiles. Consult: Mindanao, su historia y geografia (Madrid, 1894); González Parrado, Memoria acerca de Mindanao (Manila, 1893). See Philippine Islands.