SAMAR

island in the east-central part of the Philippines, the third largest (after Luzon and Mindanao). One of the Visayas group, Samar has an area of 5,050 square miles (13,080 square km). It lies between the Samar and Philippine seas and is separated from the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon (northwest) by the San Bernardino Strait. A bridge across the San Juanico Strait connects Samar with Leyte to the southwest. Samar lacks the high mountains that characterize most of the Visayas, but it is exceedingly hilly, with heights generally from 500 to 1,000 feet (150 to 300 m), culminating in Mount Capotoan (2,776 feet ). Lowlands are restricted to a coastal fringe and to small river floodplains and deltas. The island's rivers are generally short and flow in a radial pattern. Frequent typhoons in late summer and autumn cause considerable damage. The island's interior is sparsely settled, and its inhabitants practice shifting cultivation. Permanent settlements are generally coastal. Samarans are the sixth largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group and are also found on eastern Leyte. They are mostly Roman Catholics and cultivate rice and root crops (sweet potatoes, cassava). Coconuts and abaca are the main cash crops. Samar is largely isolated from the main island shipping routes. Most of its internal trade is by coastal ships. Iron ore, extracted in the southeast, is shipped from the port of General MacArthur (Pambuhan Sur). There are also deposits of coal, phosphate, and chromite. Samar is well forested, and there are logging and sawmill operations at the eastern coastal towns of Dolores, Taft, Borongan, and Oras. Catarman is the chief town on the northern coast. Catbalogan, the island's principal commercial centre, and the city of Calbayog are important western coastal ports and fishing centres. Pop. (1980) 1,200,592.