Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills are a Philippine geological formation of more than a thousand grass-covered limestone hills that turn brown during the dry season.
Karst topography: A landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rock, especially limestone, producing features such as caves and sinkholes. Limestone dissolution and erosion are central to explanations of the hills’ formation.
Bohol: An island province in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. The Chocolate Hills occupy a broad area of central Bohol.
Chocolate Hills Natural Monument: A protected area in Bohol established to conserve the Chocolate Hills landscape. Its protected status governs conservation of the hills and surrounding environment.
National symbols of the Philippines: Images, places, and objects used to represent the identity and heritage of the Philippines. The Chocolate Hills are widely recognized as an emblem of Bohol and the country.
Limestone: A sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, commonly formed from marine organisms and sediments. The hills consist chiefly of limestone, whose solubility helps shape their forms.
Philippine archipelago: A Southeast Asian archipelago consisting of more than 7,000 islands. The hills are among the Philippines’ best-known island landforms.
Philippine protected areas: Land and marine areas designated by the Philippines for biodiversity and natural or cultural heritage conservation. The hills’ protected designation belongs to the national conservation system.
Philippine peso: The official currency of the Philippines. The hills have appeared on Philippine currency, extending their symbolic reach.
Chemical weathering: The breakdown or alteration of rock through chemical reactions with water, air, or dissolved substances. Chemical weathering helps explain how limestone landscapes develop rounded landforms.
Bohol Limestone: A limestone formation found on Bohol, associated with the island’s karst landscapes. This local rock formation provides geological context for the hills.