Zambales Mountains

Zambales Mountains, mountain range in the north-western Philippines, on western Luzon Island. Lying north to south, the Zambales extend 160 km (100 mi) from Lingayen Gulf and Pangasinan Province in the north, through Zambales Province, and end in Bataan Province in the south. The Zambales are home to Mount Pinatubo, which erupted, causing severe damage, in 1991 and 1992. The mountains reach their highest point at High Peak (2,037 m/6,683 ft) in the north-central part of the range.

The range is a southern extension of the Cordillera Central, that was shifted west of the main range by faulting. Extensions of the Cordillera Central also appear to the south on Mindoro and Palawan islands. The range is a highly tilted block with a high eastern edge facing the Central Plain, a prime sugar- and rice-growing region. Much of the range was formed by the volcanic activity of the Quaternary Period (from 2.5 million years ago to the present). The Zambales include many kinds of volcanic rocks, such as andesites, diorites, and gabbros, all of which are exposed. Many minerals are also found in the range, the most important of which is chromite.

A number of short, rapidly flowing streams, including the Pamatawan, Santo Tomas, Anonang, Jalakak, and Bucao, drain the western slopes and empty into the South China Sea. The slopes of the Zambales are forested with tall hardwood trees and, at higher elevations, pines.