The Islands of The Philippines

The PHILIPPINES, located north of Indonesia, east of Vietnam, and west of Palau, feature a unique arrangement of large and small islands. The largest island, Luzon, is the northernmost major island (the Batan Islands and Babuyan Islands are farther north) and the home of The Philippines' capital, Manila, and other large cities like Quezon City, Dagupan, Lucena, and San Carlos. The second largest island is Mindanao, the southernmost major island; the largest city on Mindanao is Davao. The Sulu Sea separates Palawan from the Cuyo Islands, Cagayan Islands, Panay, and Negros. Palawan is the diagonally long and thin island located west of all of The Philippines' islands (except Balabac (located southwest of Palawan) and the Spratly Islands, which are also claimed by Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The Sulu Archipelago, consisting of Basilan, Jolo, Pagutaran, and Tawi Tawi, among a scattering of smaller islands, sits southwest of Mindanao and just east of Malaysia. Other islands that I have not mentioned include, but certainly not limited to, Bohol, Catanduanes, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Mindoro, Samar, and Tablas.