Northern Samar - Geography

Geography

Northern Samar is one of the three provinces comprising Samar Island (the other two are Samar and Eastern Samar provinces). It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the east, the San Bernardino Strait on the north, Samar Sea on the west, and the Samar and Eastern Samar provinces on the south. It ranks thirty-seventh (37th) in size among the 80 provinces of the Philippines and accounts for practically 1.2 percent of the total land area of the country. It is located at the eastern edge of the Archipelago with an area of 349,800 hectares. About 52 percent of the total land area is covered by forest and 42 percent is classified as alienable and disposable.

Socio-Demographic Situation

Northern Samar is classified as second class province. Based on the 2010 National Census, the province has a total population of 589,013.

Catarman is the capital town of the province where most political and economic activities take place. It is the seat of administration and the center of trade and commerce as well as industry.

The province is considered a very rural area with 65% of its people residing in the countryside.

Topography

Northern Samar has a very rugged terrain with restricted pocket plains and valleys. River valleys are low-lying and are often interrupted by hills, while the remaining portion is rolling, hilly, and mountainous. The interior of the mainland consists of highly dissected hills and mountain peaks. Low-lying hills are found between the coastal plains of Palapag, the river valley of Gamay, and Catubig Valley.

Climate

Northern Samar falls under the intermediate type climate, which has no distinct dry and wet seasons. The rainiest months are October to January, while the driest is the month of May.