Negros, Philippines

Negros Island Region (NIR)
Region
From upper-left to lower-right: MassKara Festival, The Ruins, Balay Negrense, Mabinay Crystal Cave, Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, Silliman University
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: inline,title
Country	Philippines
Island group	Visayas
Regional center	Bacolod and Dumaguete (interim joint temporary regional centers for a three-year transition period; Kabankalan and neighboring Mabinay are to be joint permanent regional centers)
Area
• Total	13,350.74 km2 (5,154.75 sq mi)
Population (2015)
• Total	4,414,131
• Density	330/km2 (860/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
Provinces	2 Negros Occidental Negros Oriental
Cities	19 Bacolod Bago Bais Bayawan Cadiz Canlaon Dumaguete Escalante Guihulngan Himamaylan Kabankalan La Carlota Sagay San Carlos Silay Sipalay Talisay Tanjay Victorias
Municipalities	38
Barangays	1,219
Cong. districts	11
Languages	Hiligaynon Cebuano Filipino English

Negros Island

Mount Kanlaon, the highest peak in Negros
Blank map of the Philippines showing Negros in red
Geography
Location	South East Asia
Archipelago	Visayas
Adjacent bodies of water	Bohol Sea Guimaras Strait Panay Gulf Sulu Sea Tañon Strait Visayan Sea
Area	13,309.60 km2 (5,138.87 sq mi)
Area rank	62nd
Coastline	644.90 km (400.722 mi)
Highest elevation	2,465 m (8,087 ft)
Highest point	Kanlaon Volcano
Administration
Philippines
Region	Negros Island Region
Provinces	Negros Occidental Negros Oriental
Largest settlement	Bacolod (pop. 561,875)
Demographics
Demonym	Negrense/Negrosanons
Population	4,414,131 (2015)
Pop. density	331.7 /km2 (859.1 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Visayans (Hiligaynons and Cebuanos)

Negros is an island in the Philippines, which is the fourth largest in the country with a land area of 13,309.60 km² (5,138.87 sq mi). Negros is one of the many islands that comprise the Visayas, which forms the central division of the nation.

As an administrative region, it is officially named the Negros Island Region (Hiligaynon: Rehiyon sang Pulo sang Negros; Cebuano: Rehiyon sa Pulo sa Negros; Filipino: Rehiyon ng Pulo ng Negros), also abbreviated and officially designated as NIR (unofficially Region XVIII), the 18th and newest region of the Philippines comprising the highly urbanized city of Bacolod and the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, along with its corresponding outlying islands and islets within a total regional area of 13,350.74 km² (5,154.75 sq mi).

It was created on May 29, 2015 by virtue of Executive Order No. 183 issued by Benigno Aquino III, who was the president at that time. The predominant inhabitants of the island region are mainly called Negrenses (locally Negrosanons). As of 2015, Negros Island Region's total population is 4,414,131 inhabitants, making it the fourth most populous region in the Visayas.

Negros was originally called Buglas, an old Hiligaynon word thought to mean "cut off", as it is believed that the island was separated from a larger landmass by rising waters during the last ice age. Among its earliest inhabitants were the dark-skinned Ati people, one of several aboriginal Negrito ethnic groups dispersed throughout Southeast Asia that possesses a unique culture. The westernmost portions of the island soon fell under the nominal rule of the Kedatuan of Madja-as from the neighbouring islands of Panay and Guimaras.