The main island of the Philippines.
Largest island of the Philippines; area 108,130 sq km/41,750 sq mi; capital Quezon City; The chief city is Manila, capital of the Philippines. Industries include rice, timber, and minerals. It has a US military bases.
In 1991 the volcanic Mount Pinatubo, 88 km/55 mi N of Manila, erupted after lying dormant for 600 years. Volcanic ash covered an area of 2,600 sq km/1,000 sq mi and brought economic catastrophe. The US abandoned Clark Air Base, although Subic Bay naval base, their chief station in the W Pacific, was to be restored, and was leased for a further 10 years.