Babuyan Islands
Encyclopedia
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
located in the Luzon Strait
Luzon Strait
The Luzon Strait is the strait between the island country of Taiwan and Luzon island of the Philippines. The strait thereby connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea in the western Pacific Ocean....
north of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
island in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It is separated from Luzon by the Babuyan Channel and from the Batanes Islands to its north by the Balintang Channel
Balintang Channel
The Balintang Channel is the small waterway that separates the Batanes and Babuyan Islands, both of which belong to the Philippines, in the Luzon Strait....
.
The Babuyan Islands consist of five major islands: Babuyan Island, Calayan
Calayan, Cagayan
Calayan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 16,233 people in 2,654 households....
, Camiguin, Dalupiri, and Fuga
Fuga Island
Fuga Island is an island in the municipality of Aparri, Cagayan, with an area of 100 km². Together with its nearshore western neighbor islets Barit and Mabag it constitutes one of 42 barangays of the city of Aparri. It is located in the northernmost part of the Philippines as part of the...
. Note that the Camiguin island here is different from the island-province of Camiguin
Camiguin
Camiguin is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about off the northern coast of Misamis Oriental in Mindanao. It is the second-smallest province both in population and land area after Batanes...
in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
Geologically the islands are part of the Luzon Volcanic Arc
Luzon Volcanic Arc
The Luzon Volcanic Arc is a chain of volcanoes in a north south line across the Luzon Strait from Taiwan to Luzon. It is the northern extension of the Philippine Mobile Belt...
.
Politically, the Babuyan Islands are part of the Philippine province
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of Cagayan
Cagayan
Cagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...
.
History
In the 19th century, sailors stumbled on the islands and started a backyard civilization.In the mid-20th century Christian Missionaries introduced Christianity to the islands.
In 1942, Japanese troops landed in the Babuyan Islands.
In 1945, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Allied Philippine Commonwealth troops landed in Babuyan Islands and attacked the Japanese forces in the Battle of the Babuyan Islands.
