Numerous streams in the island have cut sharp valleys on the surface of this plateau and the overall landscape is hilly and rugged. The province of Samar has 25 municipalities and a chartered city, the City of Calbayog with 949 barangays. Most of these municipalities are along the coast. The capital town of Samar province is Catbalogan which is also an important seaport facing the Maqueda Bay. The province of Samar has no distinct dry and wet season.
Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.
Under this act, the western portion was created as a separate province named Western Samar. Samar is connected with the province of Leyte thru the Marcos Bridge on the southwest across the San Juanico Strait. The 1990 Census on Population registered a total of 533,733 inhabitants for the province of Samar in 102,038 households. Males outnumbered females to a ratio of 101 males for every 100 females. The Maharlika Highway links Samar to Luzon and Mindanao with barges available in Allen, Northern Samar crossing San Bernardino Strait to Bicol in going north.