Great Star: Manila

Located on the Northern-most island of Luzon in the Philippines, Manila has become a bustling mega-city and is the long-standing capital of the island. Beginning as no more than an archipelago with ancient native tribes inhabiting the island, the city of Manila grew fiercely and rapidly advancing along with the other powers of the world. From cross-cultural connections in Manila, the Philippines would grow to be fusion of its own native culture and those of outside entities. From pre-colonial times to the present Manila has played a central role in the politics, religion, commerce, and culture of the Philippines, making it one of the richest cities in terms of history.

In order to understand how politics, religion, commerce, and culture has changed in Manila ultimately shaping the Philippines, it is imperative to understand the geographical features that allowed Manila to be a sought after city. Because of its natural water sources, volcanic regions, swamps areas, and tropical seafaring regions, Manila is composed of vastly different geographic areas have lead to historically unpredictable environments more than affecting Manila’s environmental, cultural, and agricultural history.

The Pasig River connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay on the Northern island of Luzon while the rest of Manila’s coastline falls on Manila Bay, which is fed by the South China Sea. Located at the southern region of Luzon, Manila is considered to lay in a region that geologist have dubbed the, “hot belt” region, indicating annual isotherm temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In combination with the heat, the rainy seasons in Manila have made it a highly humid region. The rainy seasons have always been the mid to late summer when temperatures tend to ...

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