Luzon

Largest island of the Philippines; area 108,130 sq km/41,750 sq mi; capital Quezon City; population (2000) 39,500,000. The chief city is Manila, capital of the Philippines. Industries include rice, timber, minerals, sugar cane, and hemp. It has US military bases.

In 1991 the volcanic Mount Pinatubo, 88 km/55 mi north of Manila, erupted after lying dormant for 600 years. Volcanic ash covered an area of 2,600 sq km/1,000 sq mi to a depth of as much as 3 m/10 ft and brought economic catastrophe. This followed a major earthquake in 1990 (7.7 on the Richter scale), in which 1,600 people were killed.

Subic Bay naval station was operated by the USA from 1901 until 1992. Clark air base was abandoned by the USA and handed over to the Philippines government in 1991 after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo had destroyed many of its buildings.