Province of Bohol (
Cebuano:
Lalawigan sa Bohol;
Filipino:
Lalawigan ng Bohol) is a first income class island
province of the
Philippines located in the
Central Visayas region, consisting of
Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands.
[2] Its capital is
Tagbilaran City.
With a land area of 4,117.26 square kilometres (1,589.68 sq mi) and a
coastline 261 kilometres (162 mi) long, Bohol is the tenth largest
island of the Philippines.
[3] To the west of Bohol is
Cebu, to the northeast is the island of
Leyte and to the south, across the
Bohol Sea is
Mindanao.
The province is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts.
[4] The
Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of
limestone
formations, is the most popular attraction. The formations can be seen
by land (climbing the highest point) or by air with ultralight airplane
tours.
Panglao Island, located just southwest of
Tagbilaran City,
is famous for its diving locations and routinely listed as one of the
top ten diving locations in the world. Numerous tourist resorts dot the
southern beaches and cater to divers from around the world. The
Philippine Tarsier, considered the
second-smallest primate in the world, is indigenous to the island.
Boholanos refer to their island homeland as the "Republic of Bohol" with both conviction and pride.
[1] A narrow strait separates the island of
Cebu
and Bohol and both share a common language, but the Boholanos retain a
conscious distinction from the Cebuanos. Bohol's climate is generally
dry, with maximum rainfall between the months of June and October. The
interior is cooler than the coast.
