The original inhabitants of Batanes were the Ivatan tribes, but most Ivatans today are mestizos some of whose forefathers were Spanish conquistadores and Formosans. In more recent times, a large number of Ilocanos have migrated to Batanes, making Ilocanos the majority group and the Ilocano language widely spoken. However, the natives continue to speak Ivatan and other tribal dialects still peculiar to the different villages and islands. Though some Ivatans still practice animism, the majority of the population of Batanes are Roman Catholic. Centuries-old Spanish churches can be found in all the towns.
Dominican clergy continue to have a strong influence.
The islands group was formally discovered for the West by the English voyager William Drapier on August 16, 1687. The cannon carried by the ship is preserved. The provincial capital, Basco on Batan, was named for the Spanish governor general, Jose Basco y Vargas, who brought the islands under Spanish rule in 1788. The Ivatans first ignored the Spanish and clung to their mountain villages until, using the threat of armed force, Governor Joaquin del Castillo compelled the natives to move to the lowlands in 1790 and to adopt western dress. A century later many Ivatans migrated to Manila to seek work or attend college.