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Manila Bay is a natural harbour which serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and its neighbouring countries,〔Jacinto, G.S., Azanza, R.V.,Velasquez,I.B. and Siringan, F.P.(2006)."Manila Bay:Environmental Challenges and Opportunities" in Wolanski, E.(ed.) The Environment in Asia Pacific Harbours.Springer:Dordrecht, The Netherlands.p309-328.〕 becoming the gateway for socio-economic development even prior to Spanish occupation. With an area of , and a coastline of , Manila Bay is situated in the western part of Luzon and is bounded by Cavite and Metro Manila on the east, Bulacan and Pampanga on the north, and Bataan on the west and northwest.〔Jacinto, G.S., Velasquez, I.B., San Diego-McGlone,M.L.,Villanoy, C.L. and Siringan,F.B.(2006)."Biophysical Environment of Manila Bay - Then and Now", in Wolanski, E.(ed.)The Environment in Asia Pacific Harbours.Springer:Dordrecht,The Netherlands.p. 293-307.〕 Manila Bay drains approximately of watershed area, with the Pampanga River contributing about 49% of the freshwater influx. With an average depth of , it is estimated to have a total volume of 28.9 billion cubic metres (28.9 cubic km). Entrance to the bay is wide and expands to a width of . However, width of the bay varies from at its mouth and expanding to at its widest point.〔 The islands of Corregidor and Caballo divides the entrance into two channels,〔 about 2 miles (3.2 km) towards the North and 6.5 miles (10.5 km) wide on the South side. Mariveles, in the province of Bataan, is an anchorage just inside the northern entrance and Sangley Point is the former location of Cavite Naval Base. On either side of the bay are volcanic peaks topped with tropical foliage: 40 km to the north is the Bataan Peninsula and to the south is the province of Cavite. Across the entrance to Manila Bay are several islands, the largest of which is Corregidor, located 3 kilometres from Bataan and, along with the island of Caballo, separates the mouth of the bay into the North and South Channels. In the south channel is El Fraile Island and outside the entrance, and to the south, is Carabao Island. El Fraile, a rocky island some in area, supports the massive concrete and steel ruins of Fort Drum, an island fortress constructed by the United States Army to defend the southern entrance of the bay. To the immediate north and south are additional harbors, upon which both local and international ports are situated. Large number of ships at the North and South harbors facilitate maritime activities in the bay.〔 Being smaller of the two harbors, the North Harbor is used for inter-island shipping while the South Harbor is used for large ocean-going vessels.〔 ==History== Manila Bay was connected to Laguna de Bay (pronounced bai) approximately 3,000 years ago.〔 Recurring episodic uplifts along the West Marikina Valley Fault〔Jaraula, C.B., Siringan, F.P. (2004). Multi-proxy reconstruction of Late Quaternary evolution of Laguna de Bai, Philippines. (Submitted to Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology).〕 caused the two to break up. Interaction between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay today occurs only through the Pasig River. The bay was the setting for the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 in which American troops led by Commodore George Dewey, seized the area. Significantly, this battle showcased the United States' naval strength when all major Spanish ships were destroyed and captured.〔de Castro, J.A.I. (2010). "Cleaning Up Manila Bay: Mandamus as a Tool for Environmental Protection". Ecology Law Quarterly. (37) pp 797-804〕 With its proud historic past and the place brimming with marine life,〔MMDA-Metro Manila Development Authority versus Concerned Residents of Manila Bay. (2008) in de Castro, J.A.I. "Cleaning Up Manila Bay: Mandamus as a Tool for Environmental Protection." G.R. Nos. 171947-48, 574 SCRA 661, 665 Philippines.〕 Manila Bay became the ocean portal to its epicenter for government, economy and industry.〔 Seven years later during the Russo-Japanese War at the close of the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, three surviving Russian protected cruisers, the ''Aurora'', ''Zhemchug'', and ''Oleg'', managed to make port in then-United States-controlled Manila for repairs. But because the US was a neutral power, the trio of warships and their crews remained interned by the U.S. until the war officially came to an end in September that year. In World War II, Corregidor Island was annexed by Japanese forces fighting from this bay once again in 1942. Even earlier various other battles were fought from this naval base including the La Naval de Manila in 1646, which finally put a stop gate to the Dutch trials to seize the Philippines. Today, Manila Bay still remains important for commerce and industry, including fishing, although rapid urban growth and industrialization are contributing to a decline in water quality and deteriorating marine habitats. It also serves a focus for recreation for Metro Manila and is a popular destination for walks and for viewing the sunset. Much of the land fronting the bay along Metro Manila is reclaimed land which now includes important sites such as the Philippine Senate and the Mall of Asia. On 27 September 2011, the sea walls of Manila Bay were destroyed by the storm surge caused by Typhoon Pedring. Even the United States Embassy, Museo Pambata and Sofitel Philippine Plaza were submerged in by the flooding. It was estimated that the damage would cost P30 million.〔GMA News (2011): Manila Cleans up after Pedring onslaught, http://www.gmanews.tv/story/233611/nation/manila-cleans-up-after-typhoon-pedring, Last accessed 28 September 2011〕 On April 2012, the sea walls were once again opened to public and it was also provided a more robust design to become more resistant to, and withstand, a strong storm surge. 18 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Manila Bay」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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