city, southern Mindanao, Philippines. The city is located in a swampy area near the southern banks of the Cotabato River (a tributary of the Mindanao River) and just inland of the Moro Gulf. Cotabato City is the primary trade and commercial centre for all of southwestern Mindanao. Rice, corn (maize), coconuts, sugarcane, coffee, and bananas are grown in the region. Transportation facilities include a minor interisland port and airport; the city is also a highway terminus. Pop. (2000) 163,849.