the swampy areas due to urbanization and industrialization in the late 19th century until the present. Traversing the city are the rivers of Iloilo, Batiano, Jaro and Dungon Creek. Iloilo River is an estuary that separates the districts of City Proper, Molo and Villa Arevalo from the rest of the city. On the other hand, Jaro River is fed by its tributary rivers, Aganan and Tigum. Lately, a new escape channel for floodwaters coming from these two rivers to Iloilo Straight was developed, the Jaro Floodway. Iloilo City is from Manila, from Roxas City, from Kalibo, and from San Jose de Buenavista. The city has a total land area of . The city is divided into seven geographical districts. All of the districts were once individual towns, excluding Lapuz, which was a sub-district of La Paz until 2008. All districts have their own town centers complete with a plaza, a Roman Catholic church, a fire station, a police station and a public market. City Proper is a commercial area and the political center of the city and the Province of Iloilo and the Regional Government Center of Western Visayas. Iloilo City is the center of the only officially recognized Metropolitan Area in Western Visayas. The metropolitan area is composed of the City of Iloilo, the municipalities of Leganes, Pavia, Santa Barbara, Cabatuan, San Miguel, Oton, the Island Province of Guimaras and its five municipalities, namely – Sibunag, San Lorenzo, Nueva Valencia, Buenavista and Jordan. Barangays and districts The city of Iloilo has one legislative district and is further divided into seven administrative districts, which are also subdivided into barangays (barrios), with a total of 180 city barangays. Climate Iloilo City has a tropical wet and dry climate as according to the Köppen climate classification system, with pronounced wet season from June throughout November; then dry season from December to May. Demographics Language Hiligaynon is the dominant language of Iloilo City. English is used as the language of business and education. In addition, other local languages such as Karay-a (also known as Kinaray-a or obsolete Haraya) is also spoken by the minority. Spanish, once widely spoken during the colonial era up to the 1980s, is dying out, though a broken Spanish creole is spoken by a few of some Spanish-blood families and elderly sugar barons. Hiligaynon is spoken in Panay, Guimaras and Negros islands, and is part of the Visayan language