Samar

Samar ( SAH-mar) is the third-largest island in the Philippines. It has a population of 1,924,651 as of the 2024 census. It is located in the Eastern Visayas region of the Visayas islands. Since 1965, the island is divided into three provinces: Western Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar. The capitals of these provinces are, respectively, Catarman, Catbalogan, and Borongan. In commemoration of the establishment of these provinces, June 19 is celebrated as an annual holiday. Its main language and ethnicity is Waray and its main religion is Roman Catholic. The first European sighting of the island was by Ferdinand Magellan on March 16, 1521. Although he did not land, other expeditions were made. Many names, such as Samal, Ibabao, and Tandaya, were given to the island prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in 1596. During the early days of Spanish occupation, Samar was under the jurisdiction of Cebu. Late in the Philippine–American War, months after the dissolution of the First Philippine Republic, Eugenio Daza led a successful attack against the United States Army, which was followed by the Pacification of Samar and the deaths of over 2,000 people. During the American colonization of the Philippines, there were two uprisings, including by the Pulajan movement. The Battle off Samar occurred the island during World War II. During martial law under Ferdinand Marcos, the Sag-od massacre happened in 1981. The New People's Army rebellion is ongoing. Samar is the easternmost island in the Visayas archipelago, lying to the northeast of Leyte and southeast of the Bicol Peninsula on Luzon. To the west is the Samar Sea, and to the north and east of Samar lies the Philippine Sea. The island has the Samar Island Natural Park and numerous biological discoveries and forests. The island has major copra and fishery industries and also produces rice, corn, vegetables, and abaca. The island also has a major tourism industry. The island has numerous major highways and has a portion of the Pan-Philippine Highway. The island has four major ports and three airports servicing flights to Cebu City and Metro Manila. The island has six Department of Education divisions and numerous universities with satellite campuses.

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