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Manila Bay

 

Inlet of the South China Sea extending into southwestern Luzon island, Philippines. Considered one of the world's great harbours, it forms a nearly landlocked body of water with an area of 770 sq mi (2,000 sq km). It measures 36 mi (58 km) across at its widest point. The decisive Battle of Manila Bay, in the Spanish-American War, took place there in 1898. The Japanese gained control of the bay in 1942 during World War II, but it was recaptured by U.S. forces in 1945. Corregidor Island, the scene of intense fighting in the war, divides the bay's entrance into the South Channel and the North Channel.

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Columbia Encyclopedia: Manila Bay
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Manila Bay, nearly landlocked inlet of the South China Sea, SW Luzon, the Philippines. About 35 mi (56 km) wide at its broadest point and 30 mi (48 km) long, it is the best natural harbor in E Asia and one of the finest in the world. The city of Manila is on the eastern shore of the bay, and on the southeast is the city of Cavite, and a historic naval base. The entrance to Manila Bay (c.11 mi/18 km wide) is divided by the island of Corregidor into two channels; the northern channel, between Corregidor and Bataan peninsula, is only c.2 mi (3.2 km) wide. During the Spanish-American War, in the battle of Manila Bay (May 1, 1898), an American squadron under Commodore George Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet off Cavite within a few hours. The Manila Bay area was the focus, during the early phase of World War II, of a desperate attempt to save the Philippines from Japanese conquest (see Bataan; Corregidor). In the Allied recovery of the Philippines (1944-45), many Japanese ships were sunk in the bay. The large U.S. naval base on Sangley Point was closed down in the early 1980s.


WordNet: Manila Bay
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a naval battle in the Spanish-American War (1898); the American fleet under Admiral Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet


Wikipedia: Manila Bay
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Landsat satellite photo
Manila Bay, early 1800s (original caption: Baie de Manille). From Aventures d'un Gentilhomme Breton aux iles Philippines, published in 1855.

Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world. It has an area of 1,994 km2 (769.9 sq mi), and a coastline of 190 km (118.1 mi). The entrance is 19 km (11.8 mi) wide and expands to a width of 48 km (29.8 mi). Corregidor Island divides the entrance into two channels, about 2 miles (3.2 km) towards the North and 6.5 miles (10.5 km) wide on the South side. Mariveles, in the province of Bataan, is an anchorage just inside the northern entrance and Sangley Point is the former location of Cavite Naval Base.

On either side of the bay are volcanic peaks topped with tropical foliage: 40 km to the north is the Bataan Peninsula and to the south is the province of Cavite.

View of the famous Manila Bay Sunset from the Bay City in Pasay (near SM Mall of Asia)

Across the entrance to Manila Bay are several islands. The largest is Corregidor, which is 3 kilometers from Bataan and, along with the island of Caballo, separates the mouth of the bay into the North and South Channels. In the south channel is El Fraile Island and outside the entrance, and to the south, is Carabao Island. El Fraile, a rocky island some 4 acres (1.6 ha) in area, supports the massive concrete and steel ruins of Fort Drum, an island fortress constructed by the United States Army to defend the southern entrance of the bay. To the immediate north and south are additional harbors.


The bay was the setting for the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 and the siege of Corregidor Island by invading Japanese forces in 1942.

Manila Bay drains approximately 17,000 km2 (6,563.7 sq mi) of watershed area, with the Pampanga River contributing about 49% of the freshwater influx. With an average depth of 17 m (55.8 ft), it is estimated to have a total volume of 28.9 billion cubic meters (28.9 cubic km). Today, Manila Bay still remains important for commerce and industry, including fishing, although rapid urban growth and industrialization are contributing to a decline in water quality and deteriorating marine habitats. It also serves a focus for recreation for Metro Manila and is a popular destination for walks and for viewing the sunset. Much of the land fronting the bay along Metro Manila is reclaimed land which now includes important sites such as the Philippine Senate and the Mall of Asia.

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Coordinates: 14°31′N 120°46′E / 14.517°N 120.767°E / 14.517; 120.767


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Manila Bay" Read more

 

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