Bicol Region, Philippines

Bicol Region Region V
Region
From top, left to right: Porta Mariae; Legazpi Cathedral; Lake Bulusan; Mayon Volcano; Ateneo de Naga University Church
Nickname(s): Kabikulan Bicolandia
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°30′N 123°20′E / 13.5°N 123.33°E / 13.5; 123.33Coordinates: 13°30′N 123°20′E / 13.5°N 123.33°E / 13.5; 123.33
Country	Philippines
Island group	Luzon
Regional center	Legazpi
Area
• Total	18,155.82 km2 (7,010.00 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)
• Total	5,796,989
• Density	320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ISO 3166 code	PH-05
Provinces	6 Albay Camarines Norte Camarines Sur Catanduanes Masbate Sorsogon
Cities	7 Iriga Legaspi Ligao Masbate City Naga Sorsogon City Tabaco
Municipalities	107
Barangays	3,471
Cong. districts	14
Languages	Bikol languages (Central Bikol Albayanon Rinconada Sorsoganon Northern Catanduanes Southern Catanduanes) Visayan languages (Masbateño Kinaray-a Hiligaynon Cebuano Waray-Waray) Tagalog English
Website	dilgbicol.org

The Bicol Region, also known simply as Bicol, (Central Bikol: Rehiyon nin Bikol/Kabikolan; Rinconada Bicol: Rehiyon ka Bikol; Filipino: Kabikulan; Spanish: Bicolandia) is a region of the Philippines, designated as Region V. Bicol comprises six provinces, four on the Bicol Peninsula mainland (the southeastern end of Luzon) – Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon – and the offshore island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate.

The regional center and largest city is Legazpi City, Albay. The region is bounded by the Lamon Bay to the north, Philippine Sea to the east, and the Sibuyan Sea and Ragay Gulf to the west. The northernmost provinces, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, are bordered to the west by the province of Quezon.

The Bicol Region comprises the southern part of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippine archipelago. The total land area is 5.9% of the total land area of the country. Around 69.3% of the total land area is alienable and disposable while the remaining 30.7% is public forest areas.

The Bicol region was known as Ibalon, variously interpreted to derive form ibalio, "to bring to the other side"; ibalon, "people from the other side" or "people who are hospitable and give visitors gifts to bring home"; or as a corruption of Gibal-ong, a sitio of Magallanes, Sorsogon where the Spaniards first landed in 1567. The Bicol River was first mentioned in Spanish Documents in 1572. The region was also called Los Camarines after the huts found by the Spaniards in Camalig, Albay. No prehistoric animal fossils have been discovered in Bicol and the peopling of the region remains obscure. The Aeta from Camarines Sur to Sorsogon strongly suggest that aborigines lived there long ago, but earliest evidence is of middle to late Neolithic life.