Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Basilan is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital is Isabela City and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula. Basilan is the northernmost among the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago. Basilan figured prominently in international news as one of the strongholds of the Islamic terrorist group, the Abu Sayyaf. This group kidnapped a group of tourists from Palawan and brought them to Basilan, including an American Christian missionary couple, Martin and Gracia Burnham. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Province of Basilan Region: Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Capital: Isabela City Established: Population: 2000 census—259,796 (16th smallest). Density—210 per km² (40th highest). Area: 1,234.2 km² (8th smallest) Divisions: Municipalities—6. Barangays—210. Congressional districts—1. Languages: Cebuano, Chavacano Governor: Ustadz Abdulwahab M. Akbar (2001-2004) NOTE: The data above does not include Isabela City. Table of contents 1 People and Culture 2 Economy 3 Geography 3.1 Political 3.1.1 City 3.1.2 Municipalities 3.2 Physical 4 Tourist Attractions 5 History 6 External Links People and Culture Economy Geography Political Basilan is subdivided into 6 municipalities and 1 city. Isabela City is the only city and capital of Basilan. However, Isabela City is independent of the province and is actually part of the region of Zamboanga Peninsula. Basilan used to be part of Western Mindanao (the former name of Zamboanga Peninsula), but in a recent plebiscite the residents of Basilan opted to join ARMM, with the exception of Isabela City. City Isabela City Municipalities Lamitan Lantawan Maluso Sumisip Tipo-Tipo Tuburan Physical Tourist Attractions History External Links Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Basilan | Lanao del Sur | Maguindanao | Sulu | Tawi-Tawi This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.