CARAGA

From WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia

**Region XIII CARAGA**
Divisions

Regional center	Butuan City
Population	2,803,805
– Density	148.8 per km²
Area	18,847.7 km²
– Provinces	5
– Cities	3
– Municipalities	70
– Barangays	1,310
– Cong. districts	7
Languages	Surigaonon, Cebuano, Butuanon, Manobo, others

For the municipality in the province of Davao Oriental, see Caraga, Davao Oriental

Caraga is an administrative region of the Philippines, on the northeastern portion of the island of Mindanao. It is the newest region in the Philippines, and is also called Region XIII. The Caraga Region was created through Republic Act No. 7901 on February 25 1995. The region is composed of five (5) provinces: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur; three (3) cities: Butuan, Surigao and Bislig; seventy (70) municipalities and 1,346 barangays. Butuan City is the regional center.

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[edit] History

The history of Caraga can be traced back to the 15th century when explorers discovered the existence of "Kalagans", believed to be of Visayan Origin in one of the three districts in Mindanao. The word Caraga originated from the Visayan word Kalagan: kalag meaning soul or people, and an meaning land. The Kalagans have a long history of being brave and fearless. Thus, the region was called by early chroniclers as the "Land of the Brave and Fierce People".
The "Kalagans", called "Caragans" by the Spaniards, occupied the district composed of the two provinces of Surigao, the northern part of Davao Oriental and eastern Misamis Oriental. The two Agusan Provinces were later organized under the administrative jurisdiction of Surigao and became the independent Agusan province in 1914. In 1960, Surigao was divided into Norte and Sur, and in June 1967, Agusan followed suit. While Butuan then was just a town of Agusan, the logging boom in the 1950s drew business to the area. On August 2 1950, by virtue of Republic Act 523, the City Charter of Butuan was approved.
It is reported that during the early years of the Caraga region, its inhabitants came from mainland Asia, followed by Malayans, Arabs, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Americans. Migrants from the Visayan and Luzon provinces later settled in the area. Most of its inhabitants speak the Cebuano dialect and reside in the rural areas.
CLIMATE The region in general has no definite dry season. Rainfall occurs throughout the year with heavy rains from November to January.
NATURAL RESOURCES Rich in natural resources, the region has large tracts of land available for development. The region is noted for its wood based economy, its extensive water resources and its rich mineral deposits such as iron, gold, silver, nickel, chromite, manganese and copper. Its leading crops are palay, banana and coconut.
It has excellent tourism potentials because of its unspoiled and beautiful beaches, abundant and fresh seafood, ancient and historical landmarks, hot and cold springs, evergreen forests.