Palawan

Palawan (, pə-LAH-wən; Tagalog: [pɐˈlaː.wan]; officially the Province of Palawan; Cuyonon: Probinsya i'ang Palawan; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Palawan) is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area, with 14,649.73 km2 (5,656.29 mi2). It is also at the crossroads of two island groups: Visayas and Luzon. The capital and largest city is Puerto Princesa which is geographically grouped with but administered independently from the province. Palawan is known as the Philippines' Last Frontier and as the Philippines' Best Island. The islands of Palawan stretch between Mindoro island in the northeast and Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island, measuring 450 kilometers (280 mi) long, and 50 kilometers (31 mi) wide. In 2019, it was proposed to divide Palawan into three separate provinces, though the proposal was rejected by the local population in a 2021 plebiscite.