- La Union
:"La Union," without an accented "o," refers to a province in the Philippines. For places in Latin America and Spain, see
La Unión ."Infobox Philippine province
name = La Union
sealfile = Ph_seal_la_union.png
region =Ilocos Region (Region I)
capital = San Fernando City
founded = 1850
pop2000 = 657,945
pop2000rank = 35th largest
popden2000 = 441
popden2000rank = 9th highest
areakm2 = 1,493.1
arearank = 13th smallest
hucities = 0
componentcities = 1
municipalities = 19
barangays = 576
districts = 2
languages = Ilokano, Pangasinan
governor = Manuel "Manoling" Ortega (NPC)
locatormapfile = Ph_locator_map_la_union.pngLa Union is a province of the
Philippines located in theIlocos Region inLuzon . Its capital is San Fernando City and bordersIlocos Sur to the north,Benguet to the east, andPangasinan to the south. To the west of La Union is theSouth China Sea .People and culture
Ninety-three percent of the population is Ilocano and is overwhelmingly
Roman Catholic . There are communities ofPangasinense in the south,Igorot s in the Cordillera foothills, and Chinese in the city.La Union is highly literate, with San Fernando City as the administrative, educational, and financial center of the region.
Economy
The economy is diversified with service, manufacturing, and agricultural industries spread throughout the province. The Port of San Fernando operates as an increasingly active shipping point, and the former American airbase
Wallace Air Station , having been converted into a business and industrial area, helps to facilitate such commercial activity.Tourism to the province is driven by airlines and passenger coach bus lines like regionally owned
Farinas Transit Company andPartas .Tourists often flock to the beaches of Bauang, or to the more secluded ones further north for snorkeling, surfing or other water sports; the more northerly beaches near San Juan specifically cater to both local surfers as well as portions of the world surfing circuit.
Geography
Political
La Union is subdivided into 19 municipalities and 1 city.
City
Municipalities
*Agoo
*Aringay
*Bacnotan
*Bagulin
*Balaoan
*Bangar
*Bauang
*Burgos
*Caba
*Agoo
*Luna
*Naguilian
*Pugo
*Rosario
*San Gabriel
*San Juan
*Santo Tomas
*Santol
*Sudipen
*TubaoPhysical
Like most of the region, the province is squeezed in by the
Cordillera mountain range to the east and theSouth China Sea to the west. Yet, unlike other portions of Luzon and the Philippines' two other island groupings, theVisayas andMindanao , La Union experiences a rather arid and prolonged dry season with little precipitation to be expected between the months of November and May.History
La Union, "The Union" or "The United" in Spanish, was formed in 1850 when the Spanish colonial government merged the southern towns of
Ilocos Sur province, the northern towns ofPangasinan , and the western towns ofBenguet to the east.External links
* [http://www.launion.gov.ph Official Website of the Provincial Government of La Union]
* [http://www.pasyalan.net/la_union/ Pasyalan La Union]
* [http://www.karitoon.com karitoon.com - Northern Luzon Online Community ]
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