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Total Land Area The total land area of the entire archipelago is approximately 115,000 square miles. This is in excess of the combined areas of the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware; only about 7,000 square miles less than the total area of the British Isles; about 5,000 square miles more than the total area of Italy; and about two-thirds the size of Spain. Luzon Island alone which is the largest is as large as Denmark, Belgium, and Holland combined. It contains 46,969 square miles. Mindanao, the second largest, is about equal in area to Portugal. Ten islands contain more than 10,000 square miles each or 6,400,000 acres; while 20 of the islands have between 100 and 1,000 square miles each. About seven-eighths of the total number of islands composing the Archipelago contain less than 1 square mile each.

Bays and Straits There are twenty-one fine harbors and eight land-locked straits. Manila Bay with an area of 770 square miles and a circumference of 120 miles is reputed to be the finest in the Far East. It is said that it can accommodate the entire fleet of the world. It is a roadstead, in all parts of which vessels can anchor. Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Zamboanga, and Jolo are at present the ports of entry.