Negros

This article is about the island in the Philippines. For the island in Papua New Guinea, see Los Negros Island. For other uses, see Negros (disambiguation).

Negros
Negros island satellite image captured by Sentinel-2 in 2016
Location in the Philippines
Geography
LocationSoutheast Asia
Coordinates10°N 123°E / 10°N 123°E / 10; 123
ArchipelagoVisayas
Adjacent to
Area13,309.60 km2 (5,138.87 sq mi)[1]
Area rank62nd
Coastline644.90 km (400.722 mi)[2]
Highest elevation2,465 m (8087 ft)[3]
Highest pointKanlaon
Administration
RegionNegros Island Region
Provinces
Largest settlementBacolod (pop. 600,783)
Demographics
DemonymNegrenses/Negrosanons, NegOrenses (Negros Oriental residents)
Population4,656,945 (2020)[4]
Pop. density331.7/km2 (859.1/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsVisayans (Hiligaynons and Cebuanos)

Negros (English: /ˈneɪɡroʊs, ˈnɛɡ-/,[5] UK: /ˈneɪɡrɒs/,[6] Tagalog: [ˈnegɾos]) is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of 13,309 km2 (5,139 sq mi).[7] The coastal zone of the southern part of Negros is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Triangle.[8]

Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region are mainly called Negrenses (locally Negrosanons). As of 2020 census, the total population of Negros is 4,656,893 people.[9]

From 2015 to 2017, the whole island was governed as an administrative region officially named the Negros Island Region, which comprised 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).[10][11] It was created on May 29, 2015, by virtue of Executive Order No. 183 issued by President Benigno Aquino III.[12][13] On August 9, 2017, the region was dissolved after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 38, reverting its constituents to their former regions.[14]

On June 13, 2024, Negros island together with neighboring Siquijor were grouped together under the reestablished Negros Island Region with the signing of Republic Act No. 12000 by President Bongbong Marcos.[15]

  1. ^ "2010 Philippine Yearbook" (PDF). Philippine Yearbook (23rd ed.). Manila, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. ISSN 0116-1520. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  2. ^ "Islands of Philippines". Island Directory. United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  3. ^ "Kanlaon Volcano". www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  4. ^ Census of Population (2020). Table B - Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City, and Municipality - By Region. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "Definition of NEGROS". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "Negros". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  7. ^ "2010 Philippine Yearbook" (PDF). Philippine Yearbook (23rd ed.). Manila, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority: 37. ISSN 0116-1520. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  8. ^ Asaad, Irawan; Lundquist, Carolyn J.; Erdmann, Mark V.; Costello, Mark J. (June 2018). "Delineating priority areas for marine biodiversity conservation in the Coral Triangle". Biological Conservation. 222 (2): 198–211. Bibcode:2018BCons.222..198A. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.03.037.
  9. ^ Census of Population (2015). Highlights of the Philippine Population 2015 Census of Population. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  10. ^ Bueza, Michael (June 5, 2015). "FAST FACTS: The Negros Island Region". Rappler. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  11. ^ Bustillo, Roy (June 20, 2015). "Negros Island Region is now Region XVIII". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  12. ^ "Aquino OKs creation of Negros Island Region". Philippine Daily Inquirer. June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  13. ^ "PNoy joins 2 Negros provinces into one region". ABS-CBNnews.com. June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  14. ^ n/a (August 9, 2017). "BREAKING: President Rodrigo Duterte issues E.O. 38, which revokes the creation of Negros Island Region". CNN Philippines. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  15. ^ Leon, Dwight de (June 13, 2024). "Marcos signs law creating new Negros Island Region". RAPPLER. Retrieved June 13, 2024.