Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located in southwestern Luzon, just northeast of Palawan. In past times, it has been called Ma-I or Mait by ancient Chinese traders and, by Spaniards, as Mina de Oro (meaning "gold mine") from where the island got its current name. The island was divided into its two present-day provinces, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro, in 1950. Before then, since 1921, the entire island was one province.
Economy
The economy of Mindoro is largely based on
agriculture. Products consist of a wide variety of fruits, such as
citrus,
bananas,
lanzones,
rambutan, and
coconuts, such
cereals as
rice and
maize,
sugar cane,
peanuts, fish (
catfish,
milkfish,
tilapia),
livestock, and
poultry.
Logging and the mining of
marble and
copper also thrive.
Tourism is a lucrative business as well, with locations such as Apo Reef National Park, Lubang Island, Puerto Galera, Sabang Beach, and Mount Halcon.
Culture
The principal language in Mindoro is
Tagalog, although in some parts it has been greatly influenced by the native
Visayan and
Mangyan languages. Mainstream
Filipino and
Taglish are, indeed, present in and around such areas as
Puerto Galera and
Calapan City. Visayan and Mangyan languages, too, are spoken on the island, as are
Ilokano and some foreign languages — e.g.,
English,
Fukien, and, to a much lesser extent,
Spanish.
The common religions on the island fall under Christianity. The religion of the indigenous Mangyan population is animism.
Other information
Mindoro is also home to the
Tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo (
Bubalus mindorensis), which is
endemic to the island. The Tamaraw is a
bovine related to the
water buffalo and is an endangered species.
Islands of the Philippines
Миндоро | Mindoro | Mindoro | Mindoro | Mindoro | ミンドロ島 | Mindoro | Mindoro | Mindoro