FACTS & FIGURES
... At a Glance
| Area | 3,180.8 sq. km. |
| Capital | Bangued |
| Total Population (As of May 2000) |
209,491 |
| Household Population (As of May 2000) |
209,146 |
| Number of Households (As of May 2000) |
40,709 |
| Average Household Size (As of May 2000) |
5.1 |
| Population Density (As of May 2000) |
65.9/sq. km. |
| Number of Municipalities (As of Dec 2004) |
27 |
| Number of Barangays (As of Dec 2004) |
303 |
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View CAR PSGC |
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Hemmed in the towering mountain ranges of the Ilocos on the west and the Cordillera in the east, the province of Abra occupies the western portion of the Cordillera region. It is bounded on the north by Ilocos Norte and the south by Ilocos Sur and Mountain Province. Towards the east is Kalinga and on the west, the province of Apayao. As it straddles the Ilocandia and the Cordillera, these landlocked province is a melting pot of the lowland people of dominant Spanish ancestry and the unique ethnicity of the upland Tingguian tribe.
Insulated by the mountainous gazebo, nature has remained prestine in Abra and life goes on in a relaxed pace away from the humdrum of urban cosmopolitan living. With a land area of 3,975.6 square kilometers, Abra accounts for one-fifth of the regions land area, the largest province in the region. It possesses the most number of municipalities(27) and barangays(303) among the seven Cordillera provinces. The seat of the provincial government is at Bangued, its capital town which is four hours from Baguio City and 10 hours from Manila.
The province teems with empressive natural resources. Among the region's seven provinces, it has the largest area of alienable and disposable land totalling 98,420 hectares, more than one-fourth of the region's A & D lands. More than half of its land are forestlands which are repository of a myriad of forest products and minerals such as gold, clay guano, rock phosphate and cement raw materials.
Brief History
Abra was created a politico-militar province in 1846, prior to which it comprised part of the old Ilocos Province and later to Ilocos Sur when Ilocos was divided into two provinces in 1818. Civil Government was established in Abra on August 19,1901, but on February 1905 it was re-annexed to Ilocos Sur. Abra remained a sub-province for 12 years regaining its status as a province only after the passage of Act 2683 in March 1977.
Abra remained as a province of the Ilocos Region until the creation of the Cordillera Administrative Region by virtue of Executive Order #220 dated 15 July 1987 signed by then President Corazon C. Aquino.
The province of Abra is envisioned to be developed as the North Gateway to the Cordilleras highlighting its rich cultural (both upland and lowland ) and historical heritage.
Points of Interest
ABRA River - the most popular river among the numerous rivers criss-crossing the valleys of the province, being the biggest and longest. An ideal place for swimmers as well as those fond of fishing with spacious and clear water.
LIBTEC UNDERGROUND River - An enchanting underground river located in Barangay Libtec, Dolores
KIMKIMAY Lake - Located at Taquib, Villaviciosa. This is a favorite place for town picnickers using the lake as a swimming pool and a place for fishing.
DON MARIANO MARCOS Bridge - Located along the Abra-Kalinga National Road which is the third longest bridge in the country with a total length of 886.8 linear meters.
VICTORIA NATIONAL Park -This is located atop a hill overlooking the town of Bangued and neighboring municipalities of Tayum, La Paz, Pidigan and Penarrubia. A shrine of the blessed mother cradling Infant Jesus was built near a reservoir of waterworks of Bangued waterworks. A swimming pool is also available for swimmers.
Sources: Cordillera Source Book on Autonomy
First Regional Media Conference
Sagada, Mt. Province
March 4 - 8, 1997
by the Cordillera Executive Board
1997 Tourism Situationer
Department of Tourism
Cordillera Administrative Region
+ Photo courtesy of the PEENRA Project Team
Page last updated: August 25, 2005
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