Zamboanga, << zam boh AHNG guh >> (pop. 977,234), is a port city on the southwestern tip of the Philippine island of Mindanao. It lies about 550 miles (885 kilometers) south of Manila. The region around Zamboanga produces abaca (a plant grown for its fiber), coconuts, fish, lumber, rice, and rubber. The city serves as a trade center for the region.
Before the Spaniards arrived, Muslim sultans ruled the region. But in 1635, Spaniards built a fort where Zamboanga now stands. Conflict between the Muslims and the Christian Spaniards and Filipinos began then and continues today.
