Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island (09°30′N 118°30′E), measuring 450 kilometres (280 mi) long, and 50 kilometres (31 mi) wide. Palawan is composed of the long and narrow Palawan Island, plus a number of other smaller islands surrounding the main island. The Calamianes Group of Islands, to the northeast consists of Busuanga Island, Culion Island, and Coron Island. Durangan Island almost touches the westernmost part of Palawan Island, while Balabac Island is located off the southern tip, separated from Borneo by the Balabac Strait. In addition, Palawan covers the Cuyo Islands in the Sulu Sea. The disputed Spratly Islands, located a few hundred kilometres to the west is considered part of Palawan by the Philippines, and is locally called the Kalayaan Group of Islands.
The history of Palawan may be traced back 22,000 years ago, as confirmed by the discovery of bone fragments of the Tabon Man in the municipality of Quezon. Although the origin of the cave dwellers is not yet established, anthropologists believe they came from Borneo. Known as the Cradle of Philippine Civilization, the Tabon Caves consist of a series of chambers where scholars and anthropologists discovered the remains of the Tabon Man along with his tools and a number of artifacts.
Placed in the province of Palawan, this attractive reef ecosystem is home to more than 400 fish species and 300 species of corals. Because of the rich marine life and diverse indicates of marine creatures, it is currently recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country. Some of the notable species of animals found in this place include the clownfish, tortoise and manta ray. It also features fine-looking coral walls, which play home to manta rays, barracudas and hammerhead sharks.
Widely known as one of the best swimming destinations in the world, Boracay is blessed with unsullied excellent talcum powder-sand beaches. Its tranquil crystal clear waters are great for swimming, sailing, fishing and sunbathing. Boracay is boasts of sapphire seas and spectacular sunsets. Countless hidden coves dot the island and large coconut trees line up along the beaches.
The majestic Mount Mayon, it is considered as the world’s near perfect cone-shaped volcano, is one of the candidates of the New 7 Wonders of Nature and is now ranked number 9 in the list. Scenic volcano is located south of Manila, in the province of Albay, Philippines. Mayon Volcano is the Philippines’ most active volcano (47 eruptions since 1616) and it is considered to be the world’s most perfectly formed volcano for symmetrical cone.
