Panglao Island

Panglao is a small island in the north Bohol Sea, in the Central Visayas Region of the Visayas island group, in the south-central Philippines.

The island is an important touristic place because of the beaches found here and the presence of coral reefs near the island.

Geography
The island of Panglao has an area of .The area of the island was calculated adding the areas of the two municipalities of the island. The island had a population, as of 2010, of 68,051,The total population of the island was calculated adding the populations of the two municipalities of the island. for a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

The island is in the northern part of the Bohol Sea (or Mindanao Sea), to the southwest of the island of Bohol and to the east of the island of Cebu. Panglao is separated from the Bohol island by a narrow strait, the Tagbilaran Strait, and two bridges connect the island with the city of Tagbilaran.

There are several smaller islands close to Panglao, such as Gak-ang, Pontod, and Balicasag.

Panglao has a terrain that range from plain, hilly to mountainous, composed by a limestone that is soluble and that causes the formation of caves and sinkholes. One interesting geological feature of the island is the Hinagdanan Cave which has an underground water source; because there no rivers or lakes in the island, the cave is an important water source.

Biodiversity
During the works of the Panglao Marine Biodiversity Project, about 250 new species of crustaceans and 1,500-2,500 new species of mollusks were found in the waters of Panglao and Balicasag. The project found that Panglao alone has more marine biodiversity than Japan and the Mediterranean sea.

Because of this biodiversity, the island was proposed in 2006 as a World Heritage Site by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines.

Administrative divisions
The island of Panglao is within the Bohol province, and is divided into 2 municipalties and 22 barangays (like neighbourhoods).

MunicipalityArea(km²) Population(2010)Pop. density(per km²)Barangays Dauis   43.33   39,448    12 Panglao  47.79  28,603    10 TOTAL  91.12  68,051    22

Related pages
 Central Visayas
 Bohol island
 Bohol province

Notes

References

Other websites
 Panglao - Tourism informations
 Dauis - Tourism informations
 Panglao Island Diving

Category:Islands of the Philippines