Bataan

Peninsula in Luzon, the Philippines, which was defended against the Japanese in World War II by US and Filipino troops under Gen MacArthur from 1 January to 9 April 1942. MacArthur was evacuated, but some 67,000 Allied prisoners died on the Bataan Death March to camps in the interior.

In response to the 1973 oil crisis, Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos announced the building of a nuclear power station at Bataan. The power station was built on an earthquake fault line and near to an inactive volcano. However, it was never completed and subsequently became a major drain on the economy due to interest repayments.

Bataan

Province of the Philippines, on Luzon Island, forming a peninsula on the west side of Manila Bay; area 1,372 sq km/530 sq mi; population (1995) 492,000. The capital is Balanga. The western half of Bataan is densely forested, and the eastern coastal plain is the most heavily populated. The southern area is heavily industrialized, with textiles, clocks, electronics, and car components being produced.