This article is about the Cavite province. For information about Cavite City, see Cavite City. There is also a Cavite Chorale in the Caribbean.

Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Its capital is the municipality of Imus although Trece Martires City , which was the former capital, is still the seat of the provincial government and the location of the capitol building. Cavite is surrounded by the provinces of Laguna to the east and Batangas to the south. To the west lies the South China Sea.

People and Culture

Population. Cavite has a total population of 2,063,161 based on the 2000 census.

Languages. The main languages spoken are Tagalog, Chabacano and English. However, due to a large number of immigrants from farther provinces due to Cavite's proximity to Manila, a number of people also speak Bikol, Cebuano, and Ilokano.

Religion. In line with national statistics, the majority (87%) of the population are Roman Catholic while adherents of Iglesia ni Cristo account for 4% of the population. Other Christian sects and Muslims comprise the remainder.

Economy

Cavite is one of the fastest growing provinces in the country due to its close proximity to Metro Manila. Many companies, such as Intel, have established manufacturing plants in numerous industrial parks.

Three SM Malls and two Robinsons malls are located in Cavite. They are the SM City Bacoor, SM City Dasmariñas, SM Supercenter Molino also in Bacoor which is under construction, Robinsons Place Imus and Robinsons Place Dasmariñas.

Geography

Political

Cavite is subdivided into 20 municipalities and 3 cities.

Cities

• Cavite City
• Tagaytay City
• Trece Martires City

Municipalities

Physical

Land. Cavite is the smallest province in the CALABARZON region, having an area of 1,287.6 km². It lies on the southern shores of Manila Bay and includes most of the islands in the bay such as Corregidor. Other islands include Caballo Island, Carabao Island, and El Praile Island.

Most of the province is flat and gradually rises in altitude going southwards towards the Tagaytay Ridge, which overlooks the Taal Lake in Batangas. Tagaytay City is located on this ridge and provides one of the best views of Taal Volcano. The ridge is also the province's highest point at 640 meters above sea level. To the southwest of the province rises the Maragondon Mountains.

The shores of Cavite are relatively straight. Cavite City lies on a peninsula jutting into Manila Bay. Towards the southwest, the shoreline features numerous bays and cliffs especially in the municipalities of Ternate and Maragondon.

The province is cut by five major rivers: Maragondon, Labac, Cañas, Ilang-Ilang and Imus, all emptying into Manila Bay.

Climate. Cavite has two pronounced seasons—the dry season, which begins in November and ends in April, and the rainy season, which starts in May and ends in October. The coolest months are January and February while the hottest months are April and May.

History

The name of this province is derived from the Tagalog word kawit, which means hook— Cavite being its Hispanized form. It is taken from the hook-like shape of the center of the city. A look at the map shows that Cavite is located at the tip of the hook. In the early 16th century, the Spaniards outfitted galleons for the Manila-Acapulco run, as well as small boats to fend off the constantly marauding Moros who were making the Spaniards take notice of them.

Cavite was one of the first sites of the Philippine Revolution, and is the birthplace of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, one of the leaders of the revolution. Cavite is the home of the Aguinaldo Shrine. Cavite was also the place where Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines from Spain in a ceremony held in Kawit on June 12, 1898.

During the American Period, Cavite was the site of the Cavite Naval Base.

External links

• Official Website of the Provincial Government of Cavite