Cebú

Cebú
/se booh"/, n.
1. an island in the S central Philippines. 2,091,602; 1703 sq. mi. (4411 sq. km).
2. a seaport on this island. 490,281.

* * *

Island (pop., 2000 : 2,377,588) and (with adjacent islets) province, central Philippines.

It is 139 mi (224 km) long and about 20 mi (32 km) wide, with an area of 1,707 sq mi (4,421 sq km). Its chief city is Cebu City. A mountain chain extends its entire length. It is separated from Bohol Island by Bohol Strait and from Negros Island by Tanon Strait. Visited by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, it was occupied by the Spanish in 1565. It is one of the Philippines' most densely populated islands; it produces coal and copper.

* * *

      island, central Philippines. It is the centre of Visayan-Cebuano culture and has preserved a strong Spanish tradition in its cultural life. Attracted by the island's focal position, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan (Magellan, Ferdinand) landed there and converted the ruler and chiefs to Christianity. He later was killed on nearby Mactan Island. There are numerous relics of the event in Cebu City.

      The island of Cebu is 122 miles (196 km) long; nowhere does it exceed 20 miles (32 km) in width. The surrounding waters are the Visayan Sea (north), Tanon Strait (west), Bohol Strait (southeast), and Camotes Sea (east). Bisected by a range of low volcanic hills, the island has very little level land except for the Bogo Plain in the far north, which is mainly a commercial sugarcane area. There are few harbours, and the settlement pattern is one of numerous small agricultural villages that grow corn (maize), coconuts, yams, agave, and tobacco. Cebu suffers from both overpopulation and soil depletion. There was extensive timber cutting for the building of Spanish galleons on the historic Manila–Acapulco route, and the land was further impaired by the erosive powers of the island's short, rapid rivers and by poor agricultural methods. The Central Cebu National Park (1937), encompassing a triangular area (38,049 acres [15,394 hectares]) between Balamban, Toledo City, and Cebu City, constitutes the only remaining forest on the island. The island also has a game and bird sanctuary.

      Cebu was probably the first Philippine island to cultivate corn on a widespread basis after that plant's introduction by the Spaniards. Coarse-ground corn remains the staple food, though grain is imported from Mindanao, for Cebu is not agriculturally self-sufficient. Cebu's manufacturing industries are limited primarily to food processing. Coal, copper, limestone, gold, and silver are mined in the central hill country of the island. In addition to Cebu City, the major settlements on Cebu are Danao, Lapu-Lapu (formerly Opon), Toledo, and Mandaue. Area 1,707 square miles (4,422 square km). Pop. (2000) Cebu and smaller adjacent islands, 3,356,137.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cebú — • Located in the Philippine Islands. Cebú, the diocesan city, spelled also Sebú and Zebú, in the province of the same name Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Cebu     Cebú      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • CEBU — Île du groupe des Visayas (Philippines), appartenant à la région de Visayas central, entre les îles de Bohol et de Negros (Visayas Ouest), Cebu, de forme allongée (196 km) et étroite (32 km au maximum), est la neuvième île par sa surface (4 422… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Cebu —   [spanisch θe βu],    1) Provinzhauptstadt an der Ostküste der gleichnamigen Insel, wirtschaftliches, kulturelles und religiöses Zentrum der Visayan Islands, Philippinen, 662 000 Einwohner (als Metro Cebu mit den angrenzenden Städten Mandaue und …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Cebu — prop. n. 1. one of the Visayan islands of the central Philippines, important for its fine harbor. [WordNet 1.5] 2. an important seaport on the Island of Cebu in the Philippines. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cebu — Cebu, 1) Fluß im Reiche Fez im westlichen Afrika; fließt durch die Stadt Fez u. den Marmorasee in den Atlantischen Ocean; 2) so v.w. Zebu …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Cebu [1] — Cebu, zu den Philippinen (s.d.) gehörige, bis zu 800 m sich erhebende Insel, samt den Nebeninseln 5–6000 qkm mit etwa 500,000 Einw. Die Ernte (jährlicher Wert etwa 5,5 Mill. Mk.) besteht hauptsächlich aus Manilahanf, Zucker und Reis; die… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Cebu [2] — Cebu, Fluß in Marokko, s. Sebu …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Cebú — Cebú, Philippineninsel, s.v.w. Zebu …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • cebú — ‘Bovino doméstico originario del sur de Asia’. Su plural es cebúes o cebús (→ plural, 1c) …   Diccionario panhispánico de dudas

  • cebú — (plural cebúes, preferible a cebús) sustantivo masculino 1. (macho y hembra) Bos indicus. Mamífero rumiante parecido al toro, de color grisáceo, con una giba en la espalda y una gran papada, que está muy extendido en India, donde se le considera… …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • cebú — (De or. tibetano). 1. m. Variedad del toro común, caracterizada por la giba adiposa que tiene sobre el lomo. Vive doméstico en la India y en África. 2. Variedad del carayá …   Diccionario de la lengua española

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”