Aurora | |||
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Province | |||
Province of Aurora | |||
Aurora Provincial Capitol
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Location in the Philippines |
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Coordinates: 15°53′N 121°33′E / 15.88°N 121.55°ECoordinates: 15°53′N 121°33′E / 15.88°N 121.55°E | |||
Country | Philippines | ||
Region | Central Luzon (Region III) | ||
Founded | 1951 (as sub-province of Quezon) | ||
Province | 13 August 1979 | ||
Capital | Baler | ||
Government | |||
• Type | Sangguniang Panlalawigan | ||
• Governor | Gerardo A. Noveras (NPC) | ||
• Vice Governor | Rommel Rico T. Angara (LDP) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 3,147.32 km2 (1,215.19 sq mi) | ||
Area rank | 42nd out of 81 | ||
Highest elevation (Mount Anacuao) | 1,819 m (5,968 ft) | ||
Population (2015 census) | |||
• Total | 214,336 | ||
• Rank | 70th out of 81 | ||
• Density | 68/km2 (180/sq mi) | ||
• Density rank | 77th out of 81 | ||
Divisions | |||
• Independent cities | 0 | ||
• Component cities | 0 | ||
• Municipalities | |||
• Barangays | 151 | ||
• Districts | Lone district of Aurora | ||
Demographics | |||
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• Languages | |||
Time zone | PST (UTC+8) | ||
ZIP code | 3200–3207 | ||
IDD : area code | +63 (0)42 | ||
ISO 3166 code | PH | ||
Website | www |
Aurora is a province in the Philippines located in the eastern part of Central Luzon region, facing the Philippine Sea. Its capital is Baler and borders, clockwise from the south, the provinces of Quezon, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and Isabela.
Before 1979, Aurora was part of the province of Quezon. Aurora was, in fact, named after Aurora Aragon, the wife of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon, the president of the Philippine Commonwealth, after whom the mother province was named.
In 1572, the Spanish explorer Juan de Salcedo became the first European to visit the region that would be known as Aurora while he was exploring the northern coast of Luzon. Salcedo reportedly visited the towns of Casiguran, Baler and Infanta.
In the early days of the Spanish colonial period, Aurora was ecclesiastically linked to Infanta, which today rests further south, in northern Quezon. The earliest missionaries in the province were the Franciscans, who had established missions in Baler and Casiguran in 1609. Due to lack of available personnel, the region was given to the jurisdiction of the Augustinians and Recollects in 1658, but was returned to the Friars Minor in 1703. Other early missions included Dipaculao, established in 1719, and Casiguran, in 1753.