Central Visayas

Central Visayas

*Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an*
*Gitnang Kabisayaan/Gitnang Visayas*
Region VII
Central Visayas Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an ; Gitnang Kabisayaan/Gitnang Visayas ; Region VII
Region
	From upper-left to bottom-right: Sugar Beach Bantayan, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral (Cebu); Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park (Negros Oriental); Chocolate Hills (Bohol); Salagdoong Beach (Siquijor);
	Nickname(s): Center of Christianity; Rehiyon sa mga Sugboanon (Region of the Cebuanos)
	Location in the Philippines
	OpenStreetMap
	Coordinates: 10°0′N 123°30′E / 10.000°N 123.500°E
Country	Philippines
Island group	Visayas
Regional center	Cebu City (pop. 922,611)
Area
• Total	15,895.66 km2 (6,137.35 sq mi)
• Rank	13th
Highest elevation (Mount Kanlaon)	2,465 m (8,087 ft)
Population (2020 census)
• Total	8,081,988
• Rank	4th
• Density	510/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
• Rank	3rd
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ISO 3166 code	PH-07
Provinces	4 Bohol ; Cebu ; Negros Oriental ; Siquijor ;
Cities	16 Bais ; Bayawan ; Bogo ; Canlaon ; Carcar ; Cebu City ; Danao ; Dumaguete ; Guihulngan ; Lapu-Lapu City ; Mandaue ; Naga ; Tagbilaran ; Talisay ; Tanjay ; Toledo ;
Municipalities	116
Barangays	3,003
Cong. districts	11
Languages	Cebuano; Boholano; Porohanon; Bantayanon; Filipino; English;

Central Visayas, designated as Region VII, is a region of the Philippines. It is in the central part of the Visayas island group. It consists of two provinces–Bohol, Cebu, and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue. The region is dominated by the native speakers of Cebuano. Cebu City is its regional center.

The land area of the region is 15,875 km². As of the 2010 census, 6,800,180 people lived there. Only three of the country's 17 regions had more people.^[2]

Provinces and independent cities

The Central Visayas region is composed of 4 provinces and 3 independent cities:

Province/City	Capital	Population (2010)^[2]	Area (km²)	Pop. density (per km²)
Bohol	Tagbilaran City	1,255,128	4,117.3	304.8
Cebu	Cebu City	2,619,362	4,800.11	545.7

Cebu City	–	866,171	280.2	3091.3
Lapu-Lapu City	–	350,467	64.22	5457.3
Mandaue	–	331,320	34.87	9501.6

Although Cebu City, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu City are often grouped under the province of Cebu for statistical purposes by the National Statistics Office, as highly urbanized cities they are administratively independent from the province.

Component cities

Climate

Surrounded by Region VIII (Eastern Visayas), Central Visayas does not get many typhoons. Region VII has a weather of cloudy skies with scattered rains. Central Visayas has 80-90% humidity. The dry season is from April-May wet during the rest of the year.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, Central Visayas had a population of 6,800,180 people. At the 2007 census, the population was 6,398,628 with a population density of 403.1 people per square kilometer (6,129.4/mi²). The 2007 census showed an average annual population growth rate of 1.59% from 2000 to 2007, significantly less than the national average of 2.04%.

Cebuano is the dominant language of the region. In Bohol, Cebuano is referred to as Boholano. In the Camotes Islands, which is part of Cebu, Cebuano language is spoken in the towns of Tudela, Pilar and San Francisco. Except the town of Poro, in which, Porohanon is spoken (a variation or mixture of Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) and Masbateño language).

Transportation

By sea

The Port of Cebu is the region's main gateway. There are also ports in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, Tagbilaran in Bohol and Larena in Siquijor. Inter-island shipping is served by numerous shipping lines, two of them fastcraft companies which serve all the provinces in the region.

By air

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport, in Lapu-Lapu City, is the country's second busiest airport (after Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila) and the only airports in the Visayas serving international flights. It is an airline hub of Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, PAL Express, and Air Philippines, with flights to key cities throughout the country. It also serves international flights to other Asian destinations.^[3]

Other airports in the region are Sibulan Airport, serving Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental with flights to Manila and Cebu, and Tagbilaran Airport, serving Tagbilaran City and Bohol with flights to Manila.

References

↑ Census of Population (2015). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 "NSCB ActiveStats - REGION VII (Central Visayas)". National Statistical Coordination Board - NSCB. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
↑ "Mactan Cebu International Airport - Cebu Pacific - Philippines". www.mactan-cebuairport.com.ph. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2019-02-14.