Bicol region is part of Luzon, the largest island of the Philippine archipelago. It is situated in the southeast part of Luzon and it comprises six provinces: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon. Bicol is surrounded by water, with the Pacific Ocean in the North, East and Northeast, the Ragay Gulf in the West and the Visayan and Sibuyan seas in the Southwest.  A thin strip of land links the region to the Quezon province and the rest of Luzon. Catanduanes Island and Masbate Island are located in the Pacific Ocean. Bicol, together with its islands, occupies a total area of 5.245 square miles, representing around five percent of the total land area of the Philippines. The Bicol region is often associated with typhoons; thus, to some people the mere mention of Bicol conjures the image of a typhoon-tossed land.
A writer described Bicols' geographical position in this way: "the land is so good, the people so kind, the almighty had to invent the typhoon to even things up."   The region is blessed with a most fertile basin land, which means rich alluvial flat land which is usually watered by a complex of rivers, lakes, creeks and streams.

Location. Bounded on the north by its sister province Camarines Norte and San Miguel Bay, by the province of Albay and Ragay Gulf on the south by Lagonoy Gulf on the east and by Quezon and Ragay Bay on the west.

Camarines Sur became an independent political unit in 1919. It was not that easy, however. It is a wave-like cycle of merging, separation, re-emerging and then, separation again before the province´s status came into its present existence.There and a half centuries ago, Camarines Sur was part of Ambos Camarines, a merger of the two Camarines and also the northern section of the province of Albay.Its name was derived from the Spanish word - "Camarine", which literally means granary or storehouse. The big abundance of granaries or storehouse for rice in the province had been the main features which reminded the Spanish mission that explored the province in 1569. Capt. Luis Enriques de Guzman and Fr. Alfonzo Gimenez were the heads of the exploration.These two performed separate roles in this mission. Capt. de Guzman took control of the political situations while Fr. Gimenez sowed the seeds of Christianity amog the people. They went as far as the called Ibalon de Region de Camarines. This name was born because when the explorers travelled deeper into the region, they came upon a place named "Kamalig". It was clearly distinguished for the apparent presence of many granaries which was the translation of Kamalig. Thus, the Spaniards name the place - Camarines - on the settlement.

In 1579, a second exploration party, headed by Andres de Ibarra, was sent by Legaspi in search for more provisions. They pushed further ahead than the first mission. Ibarra and his men reached a native settlement Kalaingos (now Bata) and Bua (now Nabua).A year later, Fray Juan de Orta, another Augustunian who joined the exploration party, exerted his efforts in baptizing many natives and taught them the right manners of living. Capt. Juan de Salcedo, the gtandson of Legaspi, was dispatched in the same year to explore more places. They found the places of Paracale and San Miguel while tracing the main source of Bicol River from Lake Bato. Later, they set up a settlement along the banks which they called Santiago de Libong (now called Libon in the province of Albay).It was in 1929 when Camarines was split into two provinces: Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur. In October, 1846, Camarines Sur lost part of its northern territory to Camarines Norte but acquired Ragay, Lupi and Sipicot in return. It lost also Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao, Oas, Polangui and Libon to Albay. It also acquired Partido de Lagonoy and Caramoan Peninsula.

The regional language of Bicol is called Bicolano. The present population, called the Agta, represents 3.2 million people or about 8 percent of the national population. In the highlands are still found remnants of the aboriginal Negroid minorities. Bicol is characterized as a depressed region in terms of economic development. But Bicolano people are certainly not depressed. Despite the gloomy economic evaluation of its economy, Bicol still contributes to the nation the best of its natural resources: rice, abaca, and even the geothermal plant in Tiwi, the source of electricity for Luzon. Its scenic beauty provides strong tourism potential.

In 1854, all these provinces were united and renamed Ambos Camarines with Burias not included. Then, three years later, in 1857, the two were separated again. In 1893, it was reunited then it was finally separated in 1919. The Philippines Legislature passed an act separating these two provinces.Formerly, Camarines Sur condidted only of thirty-one towns with Naga as the capital. Five towns were also created which were Gachitorena, Bombon, Ocampo, Balatan and Parubcan (now Presentacion). On December 15, 1948, by virtue of Rep. Act No. 305, Naga became a chartered city and remained the capital of the province of Camarines Sur . But an act of Congress made Pili the designated capital on June 16, 1955 through Rep. Act No. 1336. Through Congressman Felix A. Fuentebella, this act was amended by Republic Act No. 3407. It finalized by making Pili as the permanent provincial capital.Geography. The province lies across the middle of the peninsula at the southern tip of Luzon. It embraces the fertile valleys of the Bicol River and its contributing tributaries as well as the volcanic regions of Mt. Isarog and Mt. Asog (by some called Mt. Iriga).On the north, it is bounded by Camarines Norte and San Miguel Bay. On the south, by Albay. On the east, the Pacific Ocean and Lagonoy Gulf. On the west, by Ragay Gulf.It is traversed by the long wide and meandering Bicol River and other streams that descend from the southwestern side of Pasacao - San Fernando Libmanan mountain ranges and on the northeastern side ofMt. Isarog.Except for some highlands found in some inland towns such as Ocampo, Baao and Iriga, the rest are mountain ranges which bordered the rugged coaslines. They sorround vast fertile plains and areble lowlands except those found along Nata, Angay, Sabang and San Jose beaches in Partido, San Miguel, Cabusao and Calabanga. Camarines Sur boasts of three beautiful lakes (Baao, Bato, and Buhi) and four mountains (Isarog, Iriga, Buhi and Tangcong Vaca).Political subdivisions. The province is politically into four districts: first district (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipicot, Libmanan, Cabudao, Pamplona, Pasacao, Minalabac and San Fernando), second district (Naga City, Bonbon, Calabanga, Camaligan, Canaman, Gainza, Magarao, , Milaor, Ocampo and Pili), third district (Caramoan, Gachitorena, Goa, Lagonoy, Presentacion, Sangay, San Jose, Tigaon, Tinambac and Siruma) and fourth district (Iriga City, Baao, Balatan, Bato, Buhi, Bula and Nabua). Its climate is characterized genarally by no dry season and no pronounced maximum rain period.   If Bulacan Tagalog is to the Tagalogs, the Naga Bicol is to the Bicolanos. Variations of the Bicol dialect have reached not only in some parts of Camarines but in the other provinces of the region. Language authorities have considered the Naga Bikol as grammatically correct in comparison with the other Bikol dialects of similar shades of diction and word usages.