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Biliran Island

Biliran
Province
Province of Biliran
Official seal of Biliran
Seal
Location in the Philippines
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°35′N 124°29′E / 11.58°N 124.48°E / 11.58; 124.48Coordinates: 11°35′N 124°29′E / 11.58°N 124.48°E / 11.58; 124.48
Country Philippines
Region Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Founded 11 May 1992
Seat Naval
Government
 • Type Sangguniang Panlalawigan
 • Governor Gerardo Espina, Jr (Liberal)
 • Vice Governor Eriberto Tubis, Jr. (Liberal)
Area
 • Total 536.01 km2 (206.95 sq mi)
Area rank 78th out of 81
Highest elevation (Mount Biliran) 1,340 m (4,400 ft)
Population (2015 census)
 • Total 171,612
 • Rank 75th out of 81
 • Density 320/km2 (830/sq mi)
 • Density rank 21st out of 81
Divisions
 • Independent cities 0
 • Component cities 0
 • Municipalities
 • Barangays 132
 • Districts Lone district of Biliran
Time zone PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP code 6560–6567
IDD:area code +63 (0)53
ISO 3166 code PH-BIL
Spoken languages
Website biliran.gov.ph
Biliran Island
Biliran.jpg
NASA Landsat image of Biliran
Geography
Location Samar Sea
Coordinates 11°31′23″N 124°32′06″E / 11.523°N 124.535°E / 11.523; 124.535
Archipelago Visayas
Area 555.4 km2 (214.4 sq mi)
Highest elevation 1,340 m (4,400 ft)
Administration
Philippines

Biliran (Cebuano: Lalawigan sa Biliran; Waray-Waray: Probinsya han Biliran; Filipino: Lalawigan ng Biliran) is an island province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII). Biliran is one of the country's smallest and newest provinces. Formerly a sub-province of Leyte, it became an independent province in 1992.

Biliran lies less than a kilometer north of the island of Leyte. A bridge-causeway fixed link over Poro Island connects the province to Leyte. Its capital is the municipality of Naval on the western coast of the island.

During the early Spanish era, what is now called Biliran Island was known as Isla de Panamao. The present name, believed to be adopted sometime between the late 17th century and the early 18th century, was, according to many publications, derived from a native grass called borobiliran which once grew abundantly on the island's plains. A contending theory states that the name came from the word bilir, which was defined in an old Visayan dictionary to be the “corner or edge of a boat, vase or anything protruding, like veins, or the furrow made by the plow.” The dictionary also gives biliran as an alternate spelling for bilir. This theory is supported by the fact that Biliran was site of the first large-scale shipyard, built in the 17th century. Galleons were built to support the Galleon trade between Manila and Acapulco in Mexico.


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Wikipedia

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