The Sulu Sea is a body of water

Body of water

A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water, usually covering the Earth or another planet. The term body of water most often refers to large accumulations of water, such as oceans, seas, and lakes, but it may also include smaller pools of water such as ponds, puddles or...

 in the southwestern area of 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...

, separated from the South China Sea

South China Sea

The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 in the northwest by Palawan

Palawan

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...

 and from the Celebes Sea

Celebes Sea

The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia...

 in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago

Sulu Archipelago

The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....

. Borneo

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

 is found to the southwest and Visayas

Visayas

The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...

 to the northeast.

Sulu Sea contains a number of islands. The Cuyo Islands and Cagayan Sulu are part of the province of Palawan while Mapun and the Turtle Islands

Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi

Turtle Islands, also known as Turtle Isles, is a 5th class municipality composed of a remote group of seven islands in the province of Tawi-Tawi in the Southern Philippines.-Location:...

 are part of the province of Tawi-Tawi

Tawi-Tawi

Tawi-Tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The capital of Tawi-Tawi is Bongao. The province is the southernmost of the country sharing sea borders with the Malaysian State of Sabah and the Indonesian East Kalimantan province. To the...

. Sulu Sea is also where the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park , one of the World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

s is located.

Extent

The International Hydrographic Organization

International Hydrographic Organization

The International Hydrographic Organization is the inter-governmental organisation representing the hydrographic community. It enjoys observer status at the UN and is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting...

 (IHO) defines the Sulu Sea as being one of the waters of the East Indian Archipelago

East Indian Archipelago

The East Indian Archipelago is a marine area designated by the International Hydrographic Organization . It consists of a number of seas and straits in the East Indies ....

. The IHO defines its limits as follows:

On the Northwest. From Tanjong Sampanmangio, the North point of Borneo

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

, along the Eastern limit of South China Sea

South China Sea

The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 to Cape Calavite, the Northwest point of Mindoro

Mindoro

Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...

.

On the Northeast. The Southwest coast of Mindoro to Buruncan Point, its Southern extreme, thence a line through Semirara and Kaluya Islands to Nasog Point (11°53′N 121°53′E) the Northwestern extreme of Panay

Panay

Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...

, along the West and Southeast coast of that island to Tagubanhan Island (11°08′N 123°07′E), thence a line to the Northern extreme of Negros and down the West coast to Siaton Point, its Southern extreme, thence across to Tagolo Point (8°44′N 123°22′E), 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...

.

On the Southeast. From Tagolo Point, down the West coast of Mindanao to the Southwest extremity thence to the North coast of Basilan Island

Basilan (island)

Basilan Island is an island of the Philippines, it belongs to Basilan Province with its capital Isabela City.Basilan is geographically located between latitude 6°15' and 7°00' longitude 121°15' and 122°30'....

 (6°45′N 122°04′E), through this island to its Southern extremity, thence a line to Bitinan Island (6°04′N 121°27′E) off the Eastern end of Jolo Island

Jolo

Jolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson....

, through Jolo to a point in long. 121°04'E on its South coast, thence through Tapul

Tapul, Sulu

Tapul is a municipality in the province of Sulu, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 14,881 people in 2,117 households.-Barangays:Tapul is politically subdivided into 15 barangays.* Alu-Kabingaan* Banting* Hawan...

 and Lugus

Lugus, Sulu

Lugus is a 5th class municipality in the province of Sulu, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 18,839 people in 2,907 households.-Barangays:Lugus is politically subdivided into 17 barangays.* Alu Bus-Bus* Alu-Duyong...

 Islands and along the North coast of Tawitawi Island

Tawi-Tawi

Tawi-Tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The capital of Tawi-Tawi is Bongao. The province is the southernmost of the country sharing sea borders with the Malaysian State of Sabah and the Indonesian East Kalimantan province. To the...

 to Bongao Island

Bongao, Tawi-Tawi

Bongao is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 58,174 people in 10,146 households.-History:...

 off its Western end (5°01′N 119°45′E), and from thence to Tanjong Labian, the Northeastern extreme of Borneo.

On the Southwest. The North coast of Borneo between Tanjong Labian and Tanjong Sampanmangio.

In popular culture

The Star Trek

Star Trek

Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...

 character Hikaru Sulu

Hikaru Sulu

Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...

 is named after the Sulu Sea. According to Sulu actor George Takei

George Takei

George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...

, "[Gene] Roddenberry's

Gene Roddenberry

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...

vision for Sulu was to represent all of Asia, being named for the Sulu Sea instead of using a specific country-specific name".