Administrative divisions of Mindanao
The southern island group of Mindanao in the Philippines is divided into six administrative regions. Each region is subdivided into provinces.
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Regions
Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9)
Zamboanga Peninsula[1] (Region IX), formerly Western Mindanao, is located in the landform of the same name. It consists of Zamboanga City, Isabela City and the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay. Isabela City is the only territory not on Mindanao island itself and is a part of Basilan. The region's administrative center is Pagadian City and the whole region used to be a single province named Zamboanga.
Northern Mindanao (Region 10)
Northern Mindanao[2] (Region X) consists of the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The province of Camiguin is also a separate island just of the northern coast of mainland Mindanao. The administrative center and capital of the region is Cagayan de Oro City.
Davao Region (Region 11)
Davao Region[3] (Region XI), formerly Southern Mindanao, is located in the southeastern portion of Mindanao. The region is divided into the provinces of Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao del Sur, and Compostela Valley; plus Davao City. The region encloses the Davao Gulf to the south and includes the island of Samal in the gulf, and the Sarangani Islands further to the west. The region's administrative center is Davao City.
SOCCSKSARGEN (Region 12)
SOCCSKSARGEN[4] (Region XII), formerly Central Mindanao, is located in the south-central portion of the island. It consists of the provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato (which was used to be part of Region XI), and Sultan Kudarat; plus Cotabato City. The names of the provinces together with General Santos City spell the name of the region which is an acronym. Cotabato City, which is surrounded by, but is not a part of Maguindanao province, was the region's former administrative center. Koronadal City, in South Cotabato, is the new administrative center of the newly formed region. General Santos City, is the center of commercial, industrial, and economy in the region.
Caraga Region (Region 13)
Caraga[5] (Region XIII) is located in the northeastern part of Mindano. It consists of Butuan City and the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands. The administrative center is Butuan City. The region also covers the outlying islands of Surigao del Norte such as Siargao Island and Bucas Grande Island and the island of Dinagat of the Dinagat Islands province.
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao[6] (ARMM) is a special region which covers the territories predominantly populated by Muslims. ARMM has its own government unlike almost all the other regions in the country. It consists of almost the whole of the Sulu Archipelago (Isabela City while remaining a part of Basilan is in the Zamboanga Peninsula region) and two provinces in the mainland. The provinces located in the Sulu Archipelago are Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. Basilan and Tawitawi Island are themselves the main islands of their respective provinces, while the main island of Sulu is Jolo Island. The mainland Mindanao provinces are Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. Cotabato City, while not a part of the ARMM, is the region's administrative center.
