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The City of Davao (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Dabaw; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dabaw) is the largest city located on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is also one of the Philippines' most progressive cities. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the southern part of the Philippines.
Davao City is also one of several cities in the Philippines that are independent of any province. The city serves as the regional center for Davao Region (Region XI). It has a population of 1,363,330 (2007 census) and is named by the Foreign Direct Investment Magazine as the 10th "Asian City of the Future".[1] In recent years, Davao City has emerged as the business, investment and tourism hub for the entire southern Philippines. The city boasts of some of the finest beaches and mountain resorts in the country and its proximity to the Philippines’ most captivating diving spots as well as its highest peak, Mount Apo.
Davao was formally inaugurated as a chartered city on March 1, 1937 by President Manuel L. Quezon. Thirty years later, Davao was subdivided into three independent provinces, namely Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental. Over the years, Davao has become an ethnic melting pot as it continues to draw migrants from all over the country, lured by the prospects of striking it rich in the country's third largest city.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpahCmDSL9AjJCT0pLRqRwGAuxHF_OjfUIB9tXKvT8rdz637UZ2YQgiznW3ykvNfme0BtnuIqW320WZE06tMxhdVQmkJ9bHV75zDhBlTsXQZzqLYRHdTBrEoK8oe8raFRU6F0QNfH5Yck/s400/DD-City+Hall1.jpg)