Tarlac

Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west. It is a part of central Luzon, which is composed of Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, and Nueva Ecija.

As of the 2000 census, Tarlac has a population of 1,068,783. Its population density is 350/km². Pampango or Kapampangan is spoken by more than half of the population followed by Ilocano spoken by 41%. Tagalog is widely understood.

The economy of Tarlac is dominantly agricultural. Principal crops are rice and sugarcane. Other major crops are corn and coconut; vegetables such as eggplant, garlic, and onion; and fruit trees like mango, banana, and calamansi.

Because the province is landlocked, its fish production is limited to fishponds. On the boundary with Zambales in the west, forestlands provide timber for the logging industry. Mineral reserves such as manganese and iron can also be found along the western section.

Tarlac has its own rice and corn mills as well as sawmills and logging outfits. It has three sugar centrals. Other firms service agricultural needs such as fertilizer. Among its cottage industries, ceramics making has become important because of the abundant supply of clay.