Marinduque

Marinduque
Province
Province of Marinduque
(From top, left to right:) Marinduque Island viewed from a RORO ferry in Tayabas Bay the town of Gasan Bakulong Beach in Boac Boac River and the Biglang Awa Shrine in Balanacan Harbor Mogpog
Flag Seal
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°24′N 121°58′E / 13.4°N 121.97°E / 13.4; 121.97Coordinates: 13°24′N 121°58′E / 13.4°N 121.97°E / 13.4; 121.97
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa (Region IV-B)
Founded	February 21, 1920
Capital	Boac
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlalawigan
• Governor	Carmencita Reyes (Liberal)
• Vice Governor	Romulo Baccoro (Liberal)
• Representative	Lord Allan Jay Velasco (NUP) Lone District
Area
• Total	952.58 km2 (367.79 sq mi)
Area rank	76th out of 81
Highest elevation (Mount Malindig)	1,157 m (3,796 ft)
Population (2015 census)
• Total	234,521
• Rank	69th out of 81
• Density	250/km2 (640/sq mi)
• Density rank	37th out of 81
Divisions
• Independent cities	0
• Component cities	0
• Municipalities	6 Boac Buenavista Gasan Mogpog Santa Cruz Torrijos
• Barangays	218
• Districts	Lone district of Marinduque
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP code	4900–4905
IDD : area code	+63 (0)42
ISO 3166 code	PH-MAD
Spoken languages	Tagalog (Marinduqueño dialect) English
Website	www.marinduque.gov.ph

Marinduque (Tagalog pronunciation: [maɾinˈduke]) is an island province in the Philippines located in Mimaropa (Region IV-B) region. Its capital is the municipality of Boac. Marinduque lies between Tayabas Bay to the north and Sibuyan Sea to the south. It is west of the Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon province; east of Mindoro Island; and north of the island province of Romblon.

The province of Marinduque was ranked number 1 by the Philippine National Police and Philippine Security Forces as the 2013 Most Peaceful Province of the country due to its low crime rate statistics alternately ranking with the province of Batanes yearly. Furthermore, for almost 200 years, the province is home to one of the oldest religious festivals of the country, the Moriones Festival celebrated annually every Holy Week.

Legend has it that the island of Marinduque was formed as a consequence of a tragic love affair between two people: Mariin and Gatduke. Mariin's father, a local chieftain, did not approve of this affair and ordered the beheading of Gatduke. Before this could be done, the couple sailed out to sea and drowned themselves, forming the island now called Marinduque.

During the Spanish and early American occupations, Marinduque was part of Balayan Province (now Batangas) in the 16th century, Mindoro in the 17th century, and had a brief period as an independent province in 1901, when the Americans arrived.