The Democratic Republic of the Philippines is located in the Western Pacific Ocean, some 1,210 km east of Vietnam and is separated in the north from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel. It’s bordered on the east by the Philippine Sea (and the Pacific Ocean), on the south by the Celebes Sea, and on the west by the South China Sea. The country is divided into 3 main regions: Luzon in the north, the Visayas in the centre, and Mindanao in the south.

Consisting of 7,710 islands, the total landmass of the archipelago is 300,000 sq km. The Luzon islands include Luzon itself, Mindoro, Marinduque, Masbate and Batanes Islands. The Visayas is a group of islands in the central Philippines, which include Palawan, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Samar. The Mindanao islands include Mindanao itself, plus the Sulu Archipelago, composed primarily of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

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