Albay
[key], province, 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.
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