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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
It is the home province of Carlos P. Garcia,
the eighth president of the Republic of the Philippines
(1957–1961) who was born in Talibon, Bohol
