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BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Camarines Norte occupies the northwestern portion of the Bicol Peninsula. Along the coastlines, the province faces the Basiad Bay on the west, the Pacific Ocean on the north, and the San Miguel Bay on the east. Inland, it is bounded by the Province of Quezon on the southwest and Camarines Sur on the south. The island under the jurisdiction of the province are located on the northeastern coast.

BRIEF HISTORY
In 1521, Governador General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi sent Captain Juan de Salcedo to locate the rich gold mines of Paracale. Salcedo visited the mines Mambulao and Paracale and found them "to be excellent, very rich and more than thirty or forty estados in depth."

Originally, Camarines was one political unit only. In 1829, the province was divided into two, Camarines Norte Camarines Sur. Later, In 1854, the two provinces were again united to form the Province of Ambos Camarines. However, in 1857, they were again separated, and in 1893, again reunited. On September 16, 1896, during the Philippine Revolution many of its Katipunan leaders and sympathizers were arrested and imprisoned. Two year later, on September 12, 1898, General Vicente Lucban took Daet from the Spaniards and he subsequently reorganized and established a revolutionary government in the province.

After two years, the American forces came and occupied the Bicol region in January 19, 1990. On April 27, 1901, a civil government under the Philippine Commission was established in Ambos Camarines. The Philippine Legislature passed an act in March 1919, authorizing the Governor General to divide the province into Norte and Sur. The North consists of the towns of Capalonga, Mambulao, Paracale, Indan, Labo, San Vicente, Talisay, Daet and Basud, and islands along the coast.

During the World War II on December 12, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Forces landed in Legaspi, Albay. Six days later on the 18th, Camarines Norte Governor Wenceslao Q. Vinzons organized guerilla units and operated against the enemy. However, on July 8, 1942 Vinzons was captured and later executed by the Japanese forces. When the American Liberation Force came, General Douglas MacArthur on February 5, 1945, issued and instruction to the Sixth Army to occupy the Bicol Peninsula. With the assistance of the Filipino guerrillas, the region was finally liberated.

LANGUAGE / DIALECT
Although a part of Bicol, the majority of the people speak fluent Tagalog. At times, their dialect has a deflection of the Bicol tongue in tone and substance. More than half of the population can speak English well. Only about five percent can speak Spanish.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES
Rice and coconut are the leading industries in Camarines Norte. The kind of soil of the province make it very suitable for these kinds of plants. In large measure, most of the people are engaged in a small scale industries such as handicrafts, furniture-making, metal craft, ceramics, garments and a few food processing factories.

Meanwhile, the town of Mercedes is noted for its dried fish of assorted kinds. It is because of its closeness to the coastal areas. Near the poblacion, Bagasbas has the same type of income-source as that of Mercedes. Along the coastal towns, fishing is predominant.

HOW TO GET THERE
Hourly buses leave Manila for Daet - an 8-hour journey.