Visayas
The Visayas (/vɪˈsaɪəz/ viss-EYE-əz), or the Visayan Islands (Visayan: Kabisay-an, locally [kabiˈsajʔan]; Filipino: Kabisayaan [kɐbɪsɐˈjaʔan]), are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, it consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are also considered the northeast extremity of the entire Sulu Sea. Its inhabitants are predominantly the Visayan peoples.
Native name:
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Location of the Visayas within the Philippines | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Southeast Asia |
| Archipelago | Philippines |
| Major islands | |
| Area | 71,503 km2 (27,607 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 2,465 m (8087 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Kanlaon |
| Administration | |
| Regions | |
| Largest settlement | Cebu City (pop. 964,169) |
| Demographics | |
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| Population | 21,155,014 (2021) |
| Pop. density | 292/km2 (756/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | |
The major islands of the Visayas are Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Samar. The region may also include the provinces of Palawan, Romblon, and Masbate whose populations identify as Visayan and whose languages are more closely related to other Visayan languages than to the major languages of Luzon.
There are three administrative regions in the Visayas: Western Visayas (pop. 7.9 million), Central Visayas (8 million) and Eastern Visayas (4.5 million). The Negros Island Region existed from 2015 to 2017, separating Negros Occidental and its capital Bacolod from Western Visayas and Negros Oriental from Central Visayas. The region has been dissolved since.