Caraga

Caraga occupies the mountainous northeast of Mindanao, where the Agusan basin and its marsh meet coastal ranges facing the Pacific. Rivers, forest and sheltered bays supported fishing, farming and exchange. The name comes from the Kalagan people, whose identity was preserved in the Spanish province established in 1622.

Butuan, north of the region, was a major port long before Spanish rule. Its goldsmiths and boatwrights built large balangay vessels, and trade connected Mindanao with China, Champa and other parts of Southeast Asia. Mountain and upland communities supplied forest goods while coastal chiefs controlled river mouths and trade routes.

Spanish missions and forts entered the Agusan and Surigao coasts in the seventeenth century, competing with local datus and Moro raiders. Their control remained strongest at river mouths and mission villages, while interior forests sheltered communities beyond direct rule. Caraga's early history joins gold, boat technology, riverine trade and highland autonomy. River valleys produced rice and forest goods, while mountain communities supplied wax, resin, rattan and other exchange items. Mountain passes and rivers joined the coastal settlements to Agusan farmers and forest communities. Boat builders used local hardwood and coastal launching places, while gold ornaments displayed the wealth of river-mouth chiefs.