Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (Kapampangan: Lalawigan ning Tarlac; Pangasinan: Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; Ilocano: Probinsia ti Tarlac; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Tarlac; [tɐɾˈlak]), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Tarlac. It is bounded on the north by the province of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija on the east, Zambales on the west and Pampanga in the south. The province comprises three congressional districts and is subdivided into 17 municipalities and one city, Tarlac City, which is the provincial capital.
Tarlac | |
|---|---|
| Province of Tarlac | |
(from top: left to right) Capas National Shrine, Tarlac Provincial Capitol, Old Camiling site, Tarlac Cathedral, and Tarlac City. | |
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Flag Seal | |
| Nickname: Melting Pot of Central Luzon | |
| Anthem: Awit ng Tarlac | |
Location within the Philippines | |
OpenStreetMap | |
| Coordinates: 15°30′N 120°30′E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Central Luzon |
| Founded | 28 May 1873 |
| Capital and largest city | Tarlac City |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlalawigan |
| • Governor | Susan Y. Sulit (NPC) |
| • Vice Governor | Carlito S. David (NPC) |
| • Legislature | Tarlac Provincial Board |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,053.60 km2 (1,179.00 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 45th out of 81 |
| Highest elevation | 1,655 m (5,430 ft) |
| Population (2020 census) | |
| • Total | 1,503,456 |
| • Rank | 18th out of 81 |
| • Density | 490/km2 (1,300/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 13th out of 81 |
| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 511 |
| • Districts | Legislative districts of Tarlac |
| Demographics (2000) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| • Languages | |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)45 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-TAR |
| Website | visit-tarlac.com |
The province is situated in the heartland of Luzon, in what is known as the Central Plain also spanning the neighbouring provinces of Pampanga, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan. Tarlac covers a total land area of 3,053.45 km2 (305,345 ha).
Early in history, what came to be known as Valenzuela Ranch today was once a thickly-forested area, peopled by roving tribes of nomadic Aetas who are said to be the aboriginal settlers of the Philippines, and for a lengthy period, it was the remaining hinterland of Luzon's Central Plains. Today, Tarlac is the most multi-cultural of the provinces in the region for having a mixture of four distinct ethnic groups: the Kapampangans, the Pangasinans, the Ilocanos and the Tagalogs. It is also known for its fine food and vast sugar and rice plantations in Central Luzon.