Albay

Albay (älbī`), province (1990 pop. 903,785), SE Luzon, on the Bicol peninsula, in the Philippines. Legaspi is the capital, chief port, and largest city. Albay's terrain is rugged, but its fertile volcanic soil and heavy rainfall favor farming, and the province is a major hemp-producing area. It has many small, sheltered harbors for interisland shipping. Major tourist attractions are the beautiful active volcano, Mt. Mayon (c.8000 ft/2,440 m), the church of Cagsawa, half-buried since an eruption of Mayon early in the 19th cent., and Tiwi Hot Springs. In 1968, Mt. Mayon erupted and engulfed three villages as some 20,000 people fled their homes.