1 People and Culture

Population. Based on the May 2000 census, Albay has a total population of 1,090,907, which makes it the 22nd most populous province in the country. There are 208,640 households in the province with an average size of 5.22 persons, significantly higher than the national average of 4.99.

Languages. Bikol is the primary language spoken in Albay, being a part of the Bicol Region. Majority of the inhabitants also understand Tagalog and EnglishThe English language is a West Germanic language, originating from England. It is the third most common "first" language (native speakers), with around 402 million people in 2002. English has lingua franca status in many parts of the world, due to the mil.

2 Economy

Traditional industries. AgricultureFarming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). Agriculture is also known as farming . is the main industry in Albay, which produces such crops as coconutThe Coconut Palm Cocos nucifera L. is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only species classified in the genus Cocos . The term coconut refers to the fruit of the coconut palm. Origins The origins of this plant are the subject of deb, riceRice Rice fields on Java Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Genus: Oryza Species Oryza barthii ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza latifolia ''Oryza longistaminata ''Oryza punctata ''O, sugarThis article deals with sugar as food and as an important, widely traded commodity; the word also has other uses; see Sugar (disambiguation A sugar is a form of carbohydrate; the most commonly used sugar is a white crystalline solid, sucrose; used to alte, and abacaNee Abaca Musa textilis is a banana tree that grows natively in the Philippines. The plant is of very great economical importance. It is harvested for its fiber, called Manila hemp, which is used for making twines and ropes. The plant is sometimes also sp. Handicrafts is the major source of rural income. It continuous to provide fairly large share in the small-scale industries of the province. Forestry and papermaking are another source of livelihood. The manufacture of abaca products such as Manila hemp, hats, bags, mats, and slippers is one of the main sources of income in the rural areas. Fishing is also done along both shores of the province. Tourism, primarily because of Mayon Volcano, also draws income for Albay.

Heavy manufacturing industries. Of the total 6,369 manufacturing establishments of varied sizes in the Bicol Region, 48.6% are located in Albay. Bicol's largest industrial sites are in Albay: Tiwi and Manito boast geothermal energy plants, Camalig has the Goodfound Cement Factory, Daraga has its Isarog Pulp and Paper Company, Legazpi City has Bicol Hair, and Legaspi Oil Company and two other large coconut oil milling plants, making Albay top foreign currency earner this part of Luzon. [1]

Transportation. Albay is also the region's principal transshipment point with its ports: Tabaco International, Legazpi National, Pio Duran Provincial, and the Pantao Regional Port (under construction in 2003). Legazpi City also has its own domestic airport which hopes to serve international flights in the near future. Legazpi Airport serves as Bicol's gateway to Manila and the Visayas.