Pampanga

Pampanga
Province
(from top: left to right) Mount Pinatubo crater, Pampanga Provincial Capitol, Mount Arayat and Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Culinary and Christmas Capital of the Philippines
Anthem: Imno ning Kapampangan English: Pampanga Hymn Mekeni Tuki Ka, Malaus ka Pampanga (traditional and former anthem)
Location in the Philippines
OpenStreetMap
Coordinates: 15°04′N 120°40′E / 15.07°N 120.67°E / 15.07; 120.67
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon
Founded	December 11, 1571
Capital	San Fernando
Largest city	Angeles City
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlalawigan
• Governor	Dennis Pineda (NPC/KAMBILAN)
• Vice Governor	Lilia Pineda (NUP/KAMBILAN)
• Legislature	Pampanga Provincial Board
Area [1]
• Total	2,002.20 km2 (773.05 sq mi)
• Rank	61st out of 81
	(excluding Angeles)
Highest elevation (Mount Negron)	1,583 m (5,194 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[2]
• Total	2,437,709
• Rank	9th out of 81
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,200/sq mi)
• Rank	5th out of 81
	(excluding Angeles)
Demonym	Pampangueño or Kampampangan
Divisions
• Independent cities	1 Angeles City
• Component cities	2 Mabalacat San Fernando
• Municipalities	19 Apalit Arayat Bacolor Candaba Floridablanca Guagua Lubao Macabebe Magalang Masantol Mexico Minalin Porac San Luis San Simon Santa Ana Santa Rita Santo Tomas Sasmuan
• Barangays	505 including independent cities: 538
• Districts	Legislative districts of Pampanga (shared with Angeles City)
Demographics
• Ethnic groups	Kapampangan (84%) Tagalog (14%) Sambal (2%)
• Languages	Kapampangan Tagalog English
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2000–2024
IDD : area code	+63 (0)45
ISO 3166 code	PH-PAM
Website	www.pampanga.gov.ph

Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (Kapampangan: Lalawigan ning Pampanga; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Pampanga; IPA: [pɐmˈpaŋɡa] pəm-PAHNG-ga), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, Manila Bay to the central-south, Bataan to the southwest and Zambales to the west. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, the regional center of Central Luzon. Angeles City is the largest LGU, but while geographically within Pampanga, it is classified as a first-class, highly urbanized city and has been governed independently of the province since it received its charter in 1964.

The name La Pampanga was given by the Spaniards, who encountered natives living along the banks (pampáng) of the Pampanga River. Its creation in 1571 makes it the first Spanish province on Luzon Island (Cebu in Visayas is older as it was founded by the Spaniards in 1565). The town of Villa de Bacolor in the province briefly served as the Spanish colonial capital when Great Britain invaded Manila as part of the Seven Years' War. At the eve of the Philippine Revolution of 1896, Pampanga was one of eight provinces placed under martial law for rebellion against the Spanish Empire; it is thus represented on the Philippine national flag as one of the eight rays of the sun.

Pampanga is served by Clark International Airport (formerly Diosdado Macapagal International Airport), which is in Clark Freeport Zone, some 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north of the provincial capital. The province is home to two Philippine Air Force airbases: Basa Air Base in Floridablanca and the former United States Clark Air Base in Angeles. Due to its growing population and developments, the Clark Global City is now developed and is located in Clark Freeport Zone. In 2015, the province had 2,198,110 inhabitants,^[3] while it had 1,079,532 registered voters.^[4]