Lahar

Pampanga's name is derived from the Kapampangan word pampang ("riverbank"). Apart from its western boundary with Zambales and Mount Arayat in the northeast, the province is mostly flat, crossed by the eponymous Pampanga River. Pampanga does have its colorful history, from Spanish colonization to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Pampanga used to cover what is now Central Luzon region during Spanish times. Founded in 1571 by royal decree, it included all of present-day Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Aurora, and parts of Quezon, Tarlac, and Zambales. The province had its share of peasant revolts and led the Philippine Revolution between 1896 and 1898, and its role is commemorated in the Philippine flag. In the 20th century, Pampanga was ravaged by the Philippine-American War, World War II, the Huk Rebellion and the New People's Army Rebellion. After independence, Pampanga underwent rapid economic and social changes brought about by the American presence at Clark Air Base.