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Surigao City ((:sů-rēh-''GAŮ'')), officially the City of Surigao (; Surigaonon: ''Siyudad nan Surigao''; ), is located at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island in the Philippines and the capital of the province of Surigao del Norte. It has a total land area of 245.34 km2 which is roughly 1.4% of Caraga region. According to the , it has a population of .〔 with an annual growth rate of 1.52%. An average of 573 persons live per square kilometer, the most densely populated urban area in Caraga region. The absence of a fort in Surigao belies its significance and sphere of influence during the Spanish period. It was the capital of the expansive province of the same name from 1750 until its dissolution in 1911, covering a third of Mindanao Island's total land area. It is one of the oldest port towns in Mindanao, founded by Spanish colonizers in 1655. It has abundant mineral reserves including gold, iron, manganese, silica, cobalt, copper, chromite and among the world's largest nickel deposits in Nonoc Island. The Asian Institute of Management ranks the city as among the most competitive small-sized cities in the Philippines, with an estimated total income of 600 million pesos in 2012. The city serves as a jump off point to visitors of nearby Siargao, Dinagat and Bucas Grande islands. It is Mindanao's closest landmass to the Visayas region. Eleven nautical miles across Surigao Strait separates the city from Panaon Island in the Visayas. Surigao is the center of politics, commerce, banking, industry and education of Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands as well as parts of neighboring provinces of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Southern Leyte. ==Etymology== According to local historians, there are many versions regarding the meaning of Surigao and how this was derived. Like Sulo, which means ''sulog'' or current, the name Surigao may have been originally coined from the Spanish word ''surgir'', meaning swift current. There is also a popular legend about Visayan fishermen who went adrift on a stormy day at the mouth of today's Surigao River. With boats wrecked, they were unable to sail back to sea. They were met by a docile village chieftain named ''Solibao'' who offered them his abode. The fishermen helped the chieftain procure food for the village's daily subsistence in exchange for his hospitality. One day, with much luck, they were able to paddle back home with the help of other fisherman who made it to the village they now named ''Solibao''. Some of the men eventually returned and settled in the area. During the 15th century, Spanish galleons dropped anchor near the settlement and came ashore. The Spanish historian, worn from the long transpacific journey misheard the people when he asked where they were, and instead wrote in his diaries ''Surigao'', referring to the land at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island. The town was renamed Caraga after its founding, derived from the word ''calagan'' which means "land of the brave" or "fierce people". The Italian adventurer Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri, who published a book of travel in the country, cited Francisco Combes, S.J. as a source in saying that Calagan is derived from the two Visayan words, ''kalag'' for soul and ''an'' for people. Today, Caraga is the official name referring to the entire Region XIII, created through Republic Act No. 7901 on February 25, 1995, making it the newest region in the Philippines. 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「Surigao City」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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