Geology and Minerals
Legazpi, Albay
Legazpi, Albay (or the City of Legazpi; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Legazpi [lɛˈɡaspɪ]; Central Bikol: Syudad nin Legazpi), is a Philippines "Component City" and the capital of the province of Albay. Approximately 560 km southeast of Manila by road it covers 161.6 km2 on the western shore of Albay Gulf and serves as the principal gateway to the Bicol Region. According to the 2024 census it has a population of 210,616 people. Originally a pre-Hispanic coastal village called Sawangan, the settlement became a Spanish mission town in 1587 and was renamed in 1856 to honor conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi, a Basque. The city lies south of Mayon Volcano – an active stratovolcano known for its nearly symmetrical conical shape – and Legazpi is the base for volcano monitoring and hazard management operations in the region. Legazpi is the administrative, economic, and transport hub of the Bicol Region. The city is served by air, sea, and land transport infrastructure, including Bicol International Airport in neighboring Daraga, ports along Albay Gulf, Philippine National Railways, and the national highway network. It also functions as the region's center for tourism, education, health care, and commerce, with a diversified service-based economy focused on trade, agro‑processing, and adventure tourism. Legazpi topped the National Competitiveness Council's Cities & Municipalities Competitive Index in 2018 and has ranked in the index's top tier in the years since, earning citations as a "most business-friendly" Philippine city. Having met the necessary statutory requirements the city is now being considered for reclassification from a Component City (CC) to a Highly Urbanized City (HUC).
Also on this shelf
Abtweiler.
Coropuna.
See also
Uncatalogued shelfText from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.