For the mountain chain, see Zambales Mountains. For the ethnic group, see Sambal people.
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of 3,700 km, Zambales is the second largest among the six provinces of Central Luzon. It has a population density of 170 people per square kilometer², one of the lowest in the country. The province is noted for its mangoes, which are among the sweetest in the world. It is most abundant from January to April.
Zambales is served by the Subic Bay International Airport, which is located in the municipality of Subic, south of the provincial capital. Subic Bay Freeport Zone is host to many tourist attractions which include casinos, beach resorts, parks, beachside huts and cottages and historical artifacts.

Demographics and culture

Main articles: Ilocano language, Sambal language, and Tagalog language Language

Economy

Geography
Zambales has two pronounced seasons: dry from October to June, and wet from July to September.

Climate
Zambales lies on the western shores of Luzon island, between the Zambales Mountains and the South China Sea. Its shoreline is very ragged, and features many coves and inlets. The mountain range on the eastern part of the province occupies about 60% of its total land area. Subic Bay, in the southernmost part of the province, provides a natural harbor, and was chosen as the location of an American naval base. The peak of Mount Pinatubo lies on the intersection of the boundaries between Zambales, Pampanga, and Tarlac. This volcano, once considered dormant, erupted violently in 1991.

Physical
Zambales is subdivided into 13 municipalities and 1 city. Olongapo City is a highly urbanized city and administers itself autonomously from the province. City:
Olongapo Political
The area now occupied by Zambales was first explored by the Spanish in 1572, led by Juan de Salcedo. Among the earliest towns founded were Masinloc (1607), Iba (1611), and Santa Cruz (1612). Masinloc became the province's first capital. However, the capital was moved between among the three towns during its history before settling in Iba, due to its strategic location. The first civil governor of Zambales during the American era was the Honorable Potenciano Lesaca from 1901-1903.
The province's name came from the word zambal, which is a Hispanized term for Sambali. Zambal refers to the language spoken by the early Austronesian inhabitants of the place. A contending version states that the name was derived from the word samba, meaning worship, because the Spanish supposedly found the native inhabitants to be highly superstitious; worshiping the spirits of their ancestors.