Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south. To the east lies the island province of Catanduanes across Maqueda Channel .

Camarines Sur is the largest among the six provinces in Bicol both in terms of population and land area. Naga City is the province's commercial and cultural center, boasting malls like the LCC Central (a branch of Legazpi City-based LCC Chain), Robertson's along Diversion Road, small to medium-sized shops, and educational institutions. Lake Bato and Lake Buhi is where the smallest commercially-harvested fish can be found, the Sinarapan (Mistichthys luzonensis).

People and Culture

Population. According to the May 2000 census, there are a total of 1,551,549 residents in Camarines Sur, making it the most populous in the region and the 15th most populous in the whole country. The same census also states that Camarines Sur has 288,172 households with an average household size of 5.37 persons, significantly higher than the national average of 4.99. The annual growth rate is 1.86%, much lower than the national growth rate of 2.36%. This rate of growth will double the population of Camarines Sur in 38 years.

Languages. Being in the Bicol Region, the main language spoken in Camarines Sur is Bikol. Filipino linguists consider the dialect of Bikol spoken around Naga City, Bicol Central (also known as Bikol Naga), to be the purest dialect of Bikol. Some of the other dialects spoken in the province are Buhi-non (a dialect of Bicol Albay ), spoken in the southern part of the province around Lake Buhi , and Rinconada Bikol (also known as Bikol Iriga), which is used in the area around Iriga City . A dialect of Naga Bikol, called Partido is used in the eastern portion of the province around Lagonoy Gulf . Many inhabitants also understand Tagalog and English.

Economy

Agri-based, producing rice, corn, feedmeal, freshwater fish, livestock. Entrepreneurs engage in trading, often branching out towards neighboring provinces in the south as local demand might be limited, indicated by its mostly 3rd-5th income class municipalities.

Geography

Political

Camarines Sur is subdivided into 35 municipalities and 2 cities.

Cities

• Iriga City
• Naga City

Municipalities

Physical

Terrain. Camarines Sur lies at the center of the Bicol Peninsula. The province is also the largest in the Bicol Region with a land area of 5,266.8 square kilometers. At the center of the province is Bicol Plain. Surrounding it are mountains, two of which are Mt. Isarog and Mt. Iriga . The eastern part of the province lies on the mountainous Caramoan Peninsula , which faces the island of Catanduanes to the east.

The Bicol River drains the central and southern parts of the province into San Miguel Bay . Mt. Iriga is surrounded by three lakes: Buhi , Bato , and Baao .

Climate. The climate in Camarines Sur like most of the rest of the country is very tropical. It is dry from March to May and wet the rest of the year. June to October marks the typhoon season. Annual average rainfall is 256.5 centimeters. Camarines Sur has an average temperature of 27.0°C and a relative humidity of 25.8°C.

History

Tourist Attractions

Lake Buhi. Naga. Mt. Isarog.

External links

• Official Website of the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur
  http://www.camarinessur.gov.ph