What are the Chocolate Hills?
Q: What are the Chocolate Hills?
A: The Chocolate Hills are a geological formation in Bohol Province, Philippines. They consist of at least 1,260 conical karst hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi).
Q: How did the Chocolate Hills form?
A: The Chocolate Hills probably started as corals growing in a warm, shallow sea about two million years ago. The hills consist of sandy to rubbly marine limestones which were created by limestone dissolving in rainfall and groundwater. There was also erosion by rivers and streams after they were lifted above sea level.
Q: Why are they called the Chocolate Hills?
A: The hills are covered in green grass that turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry season, hence the name.
Q: Are the Chocolate Hills a tourist attraction?
A: Yes, they are a famous tourist attraction of Bohol and have been declared the country's third National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Q: Where else can similar topography be found?
A: Similar topography can be found in Slovenia, Croatia, northern Puerto Rico, and Pinar del Río Province, Cuba.
Q: What type of fossils can be found within these limestones?
A: These limestones contain abundant fossils of foraminifera, coral, molluscs, and algae.
Q: How old is this formation estimated to be?
A: This formation is estimated to be around two million years old.
