LOCATION
General Santos City is located in Region XI or Southern Mindanao, at the southernmost tip of the archipelago, with bearings 530' to 640' North Latitude and 12415' to 12545' East Latitude.
LAND AREA
GenSan (Gen. Santos) covers a total area of 536sq.km. Its terrain ranges from generally flat to gently undulating in the city and generally flat with scattered hills and isolated mountains in neighboring South Cotabato and Sarangani Province.
POPULATION and PEOPLE
In 2000 the city's population was placed at 411,822. Annual population growth rate is a high 5.1%, mainly due to in-migration to this booming area. Nearly all the ethnic tribes of the country, plus a number of expatriates, are represented in the area.
LANGUAGE
Bilingualism is very common in the area. While Cebuano is widely spoken, many people speak an extra dialect or two. Most people are also conversant in English, it being the official medium of school instructions and business communicatioons.
MAJOR RELIGIONS
Religious freedom is recognized in this southern region. While 70% of the population are Roman Catholics, the rest belong to a wide distribution of religious affiliations (Protestants-20%, Islam-5%, Iglesia ni Cristo-3%).
CLIMATE
The area has no pronounced wet or dry seasons although it can get as cool 21C and as hot as 36C. The average temperature keeps at 28C. The cooler months are expected from November to February while March to May provide the summer heat. The area, protected by the vast mountain ranges surrounding it, is typhoon free.
