Agusan del Norte

history of agusan del norte

Agusan del Norte (Cebuano: Amihanang Agusan; Butuanon: Probinsya hong Agusan del Norte) is a province in the Philippines located in the Caraga region of Mindanao. Its capital is the city of Cabadbaran and it is bordered on the northeast by Surigao del Norte; mid-east by Surigao del Sur; southeast by Agusan del Sur, and southwest by Misamis Oriental. It faces Butuan Bay, part of the Bohol Sea, to the northwest.

During World War II in 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces landed in Northern Agusan. In 1945, Filipino soldiers of the 6th, 10th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, 107th and 110th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the 10th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary together with the recognized Agusan guerrilla fighter units against the Japanese forces beginning the liberation in Northern Agusan during World War II. During the war, a unit of the joint Philippine-American defense force were located at Manot, Talacogon, in the interior of the Agusan Valley.

In 1967, Republic Act 4979 divided Agusan into two independent provinces: Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. On August 16, 2000, the seat of provincial government was transferred from Butuan City to Cabadbaran through Republic Act 8811,[5] although the province is yet to complete the transfer of provincial services and functions to the new capital.

Agusan del Norte is situated in Mindanao's western section of Caraga. It is bordered on the northwest by the Butuan Bay; northeast by Surigao del Norte; mid-east by Surigao del Sur; southeast by Agusan del Sur, and southwest by Misamis Oriental. Agusan del Norte has a total land area of 2,730.24 square kilometres or 1,054.15 square miles. When Butuan City is included for geographical purposes, the province's land area is 3,546.86 square kilometres (1,369.45 sq mi). The central portion of the province forms the lower basin of the third longest river in the country, the Agusan, its mouth located at the Butuan Bay. Consequently, the terrain surrounding the river features flat to rolling lands. Mountainous terrain dominate the northeastern and western areas. The country's fourth largest lake, Lake Mainit is situated at the northern border between the province of Surigao del Norte.

The province has many beaches in Cabadbaran and the municipalities of Carmen, Buenavista, and Nasipit. Mount Hilong-Hilong, one of the tallest in the province, is located in Cabadbaran. From the top of Prayer Mountain (Mount Pongkay), visitors can have a panoramic view of Cabadbaran which includes buildings, churches, rivers and the sea. The Agusan River, the longest in Mindanao and the third longest in the Philippines is in Butuan City. Looming southwest of the Agusan Valley is Mount Mayapay, a mountain plateau. The ancient Balangay boats were found in Butuan, excavated in the Balangay Shrine across the Masao River from Bood Promontory. They played a major role because of Butuan being a port city. Since its discovery, the Balangays have become an icon of Butuan. The Kaya ng Pinoy, Inc. recreated the Balangay boats and have sailed it as part of their project, the Balangay Voyage.

Agusan River is a river in the Philippines, located in the north-eastern part of Mindanao island, draining majority of the Caraga region and some parts of Compostela Valley province. It is the country's third largest river (after Cagayan River and Rio Grande de Mindanao) with a total drainage area of 11,937 square kilometres (4,609 sq mi)[2] and an estimated length of 349 kilometres (217 mi) from its origin Butuan (pronounced /buːˈtwɑːn/), officially the City of Butuan (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Butuan; Butuanon: Dakbayan hong Butuan), or simply known as Butuan City, is a 1st class highly urbanized city and regional center of the Caraga Region, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 337,063 people.

The population of Agusan del Norte in the 2015 census was 354,503 people,[2] making it the country's 64th most populous province. It had a density of 130 inhabitants per square kilometre or 340 inhabitants per square mile. When the highly urbanized city of Butuan is included for geographical purposes, the province's population is 691,566 people, with a density of 195 inhabitants per square kilometre (510/sq mi).

In 2013, the Diocese of Butuan (Catholic-Hierarchy) reported that Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion of the province comprising roughly 71% of the population and significant minority belongs to Iglesia Filipina Independiente with 10% .[citation needed] The remaining beliefs usually belong to other Christian denominations as well as Islam.