We learned that El Salvador has at least 25 extinct volcanoes and four active volcanoes. We also learned that one of El Salvador's active volcanoes was once called the "Lighthouse of the Pacific," because its glowing flares could be seen far out to sea. And we learned that some of the craters in El Salvador's extinct volcanoes have now filled with water and become lakes.

But do volcanoes only exist in America?

No, there are volcanoes all over the world.

And this month, the Boomerang Box (the brand new Boomerang Box, in fact!) is traveling to another land of volcanoes, all the way around the world from El Salvador: The Philippines!

The Republic of the Philippines is a nation in the western Pacific Ocean. (Test your map-reading skills: can you find Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, at latitude 14° 35' N and longitude 120° 59' E?)

The Philippines is made up of the Philippine Islands, which form part of the Malay Archipelago. (Archipelago is a fancy word that means 'a group of islands.' It's a good geography term to know.)

The Philippine Islands are made up of the tops of mountains that start from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. These mountain ranges are part of what is called the Pacific 'Ring of Fire.' Just as in El Salvador, this is an area where several of the Earth's 'tectonic plates' come together, resulting in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

And so, just as in El Salvador, the people in the Philippines are used to living with frequent eruptions. Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991 after being dormant for over 600 years. And Mayon Volcano has erupted many times over the last few years, spewing hot lava and smoke high into the air. How would you feel if your school had regular 'volcano drills?'

More than just geology makes the Philippines similar to El Salvador, though. Spanish explorers created a settlement in the Philippines in 1565, about the same time that other Spanish explorers were creating colonies in El Salvador and other areas of Central America. Spain ruled the Philippines until 1898, when the Philippines were transferred to the United States following the Spanish-American War.

Just as with El Salvador and many other colonized countries, though, the Philippines eventually won freedom, in 1946. Freedom and democracy in the Philippines were interrupted in the 1970s and 1980s, when President Ferdinand Marcos declared himself ruler and suspended peoples' rights. But democracy returned in 1986, and today the people of the Philippines are planning a productive future.

At the end of March, the brand-new Boomerang Box will be carrying a load of donated school books to children in the Philippines. The regular Boomerang Box will be finishing up its Spring Fling mystery trip. But the new Box (photos soon!) will be heading across the Pacific to the Philippines.

It is carrying these books for a non-profit organization called 'Books for the Barrios.' Want to learn more about how this organization uses old textbooks to help children in the Philippines? You can learn more at: http://www.booksforthebarrios.com/

Study Questions:

1. Learn more about Books for the Barrios and its mission. How can you help students in other countries? Write a 1-page paper with your ideas.

2. hat else can you learn about the geology and geography of the Philippines. Use the library or an encyclopedia to help. Write a 2-page paper about what you learn.

Check out past Trade Topics entries!