With the

Philippine Archipelago The islands of the Philippines, also known as the Philippine Archipelago, comprises about 7,641 islands, of which only about 2,000 are inhabited.fifth-longest coastline in the world. The

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

has a total length of and is very irregular, with numerous

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...

gulfs A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodies ...

, and

islets An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...

. Eleven of the largest islands of the

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arch ...

are the major islands and main centers of population, with ten of its most populous cities located along the coast. Approximately 1,000 of the smaller islands are also populated. With more than of coasting routes and tortuous channels regularly navigated by vessels trading among some 300 separate ports, navigation aids like

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses m ...

s help mariners against misnavigation and guide them to safety and out of danger from grounding on its treacherous

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes—deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock ...

and

shoals In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...

. Large international ships rely on lighthouses to guide them safely out from the open sea and into Philippine waters. Once within Philippine waters, lighthouses help them maneuver through its narrow straits and

channels Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...

, pointing out safe passages and leading vessels to their destination ports. Regardless of the advancement in technology and the use of satellite-guided positioning devices, mariners still rely on these light stations as visual confirmations of their electronic readings. As an archipelago, the future and progress of the islands has and will always depend on

maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Pri ...

travel. Even with the advent of aviation, the water routes continue to be the main highways for travel and commerce, with the lighthouses of the Philippines safely guiding the vessels that ply its routes.

List of lighthouses in the Philippines

The following is a list of historical and notable lighthouses constructed in the Philippines.U.S. Hydrographic Office, "List of Lights, Vol.2", p.74. Washington Government Printing Office, 1920."Lighthouse Depot Explorer"
, Retrieved on 2010-03-20.

References

External links

* *
Philippines Lighthouses from ''Picturesque Old Philippines''Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society List of Lights - PhilippinesLight Stations of the Philippines from the Philippine Coast Guard Website
{{Asia topic, List of lighthouses in 01

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Lighthouses A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

List of lighthouses in the Philippines

See also

References

External links