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PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF CAVITE
FAST FACTS
Click Here To See the List of Towns.
LOCATION
Cavite lies along the southern shore of Manila Bay. It is bounded on the north by Manila Bay and Metro Manila, on the east by Laguna, on the west by the South China Sea, and on the south by Batangas.
THE LAND
The portion of the province bordering Manila Bay consists of lowlands or flat-lying areas. The central portion is characterized by rolling and undulating lands. The rest are upland or hilly and mountainous areas. Tagaytay Ridge has the highest elevation at 640 m above sea level. The province is cut by five major rivers -- Maragondon, Labac, Caņas, Ilang-Ilang, and Imus -- emptying into the Manila Bay. In general, Cavite has two pronounces seasons: relatively dry from November to April and wet from May to October.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The province's name is derived from the Tagalog word kawit, meaning "hook", which refers to the shape of the peninsula. The place was a port of Spanish vessels, including the galleons from Mexico. In 1614, Cavite was created as a politico-military province.
In 1872, a mutiny at the Cavite arsenal implicated three Filipino priests: Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora, who were subsequently executed by the garrote. Cavite was the center of the military operations during the Philippine Revolution of 1896. The Spaniards executed 13 Filipino revolutionaries in Cavite City that year; the provincial is now named after them.
On June 12, 1898, General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine independence from his residence in Kawit. Bacoor became the capital until the seat of government was transferred to Malolos, Bulacan. A civil government was established by the Americans in Cavite in 1901, with Cavite City as provincial capital. Trece Martires City became the capital upon its creation in 1954.
THE PEOPLE
The inhabitants are mostly Tagalogs. Chavacano, a kind of pidin Spanish, is spoken in a few areas. Caviteņo and Ternateņo are local Tagalog dialects that are Hispanicized.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Cavite is predominantly an agricultural province. Its major crops include rice, corn, vegetables, fruits, rootcrops, coffee, coconut, and sugarcane. The province is endowed with rich offshore and coastal fishing grounds. Fishing is a major source of livelihood in the coastal towns. At least 130 industrial establishements are now operating in Cavite. At least ten individual estates have been or are being developed in various parts of the province.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:May 21, 1999.
