Mountain Province

Mountain Province is a province in the Philippines, located in Luzon's Cordillera Administrative Region. The provincial capital is Bontoc. The name of the province is often shortened to Mt. Province by locals. The name comes from being in the Cordillera Central mountain range on Luzon island. Mountain Province was the historical name for a larger province, established in 1908 and later split into Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga-Apayao, and Ifugao in 1966.^[1][2][3]

Mountain Province shown in red within the map of the Philippines.

Flag

Seal

The Mountain province is full of natural beauty and is famous for it's mummy caves with naturally preserved bodies and hanging coffins.^[4]

Location

Maligcong Rice terraces in the Mountain Province.

Mountain Province is in Luzon, covering an area of about 2,157 square kilometers. It's surrounded by Kalinga to the north, Isabela to the east, Ifugao to the south, Benguet to the southwest, Ilocos Sur to the west, and Abra to the northwest. Most of the province, around 83%, is mountainous, with hills and levels making up the remaining 17%. The region has rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and caves. The central and western parts are rugged with steep cliffs, while the east has generally sloping terrain.^[5][6]

Demographics

Mountain Province had around 158,200 people in 2020, with 73 inhabitants per square kilometer. The largest ethnic group is Kankanaey, making up 51.8% of the population, followed by Balangao at 13.46% and Bontoc at 12.28%. Other groups include Ilocano, Applai, Binontok, and Kalinga.^[7]

Population by ethnicity (2000 Census) Ethnicity Number & Percentage Kankanaey    72,694 (51.80%) Balangao    18,886 (13.46%) Bontoc    17,234 (12.28%) Ilocano    6,968 (4.97%) Applai    2,947 (2.10%) Binontok    2,510 (1.79%) Kalinga    2,468 (1.76%) Other local ethnicity    16,197 (11.54%) Other foreign ethnicity    22 (0.02%) Not Reported    413 (0.29%)

Regarding religion, about 60% of the province adheres to Anglicanism. Other religions like Roman Catholicism, Islam and other Christians are also present. Mountain Province stands out as the only predominantly Protestant province in the Philippines.