Cebu (island, Philippines)

Cebu (island, Philippines), island and province of the central Philippines, part of the Visayan Islands. Cebu Island is nestled between Bohol and Leyte islands to the east and the island of Negros to the west. The long, narrow island reaches a length of 220 km (135 mi) but a maximum width of only 30 km (20 mi). Its terrain is mountainous, with several peaks exceeding 700 m (2,300 ft). Cebu is one of the most densely populated of the more than 7,100 islands that make up the Philippines. Most of Cebu’s population is concentrated on the narrow plains that fringe the coastline, rather than in the mountainous interior.

Favored with a balmy climate and sheltered from typhoons and heavy monsoon rains, Cebu was an important producer of fruit, maize, and vegetables until intensive farming diminished agricultural productivity. Today the island is an important hub of industry, education, trade, and commercial services in the Philippines. Most of the island’s industrial production is centered in its administrative and commercial capital, Cebu City, a major international seaport and one of the largest urban centers in the country. Tourism is also a large part of the island economy. Cebu Province includes several small islands that are adjacent to Cebu, including Mactan Island. Cebu and Mactan are connected by the short Mactan-Mandaue Bridge that links the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue. Cebu residents speak their own dialect, Cebuano.

Cebu was home to a sizable agricultural and sea-trading culture long before Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan found the island in 1521. He claimed it for the Spanish monarchy and proceeded to baptize 800 islanders. Magellan was soon killed in a skirmish on Mactan Island; his slayer, Lapulapu, became a national symbol of resistance to colonialism. The cross that Magellan set in the soil of Cebu remains one of Cebu City’s principal tourist attractions. During World War II (1939-1945), Cebu City served as an important regional base for Japanese forces. The city suffered heavy damage from Allied bombing and was rebuilt after the war.

Area of island, 4,420 sq km (1,710 sq mi); of province, 4,864 sq km (1,878 sq mi). Population of province 2,646,000 (1990).