The Province of Batanes is the northernmost and the smallest province of the Philippine Republic, both in terms of population and land area. The provincial capital is Basco.
The Island Province lies at the northernmost tip of the Philippines, on a vast expanse of wild waters where the Pacific Ocean merges with the China Sea. It is made up of three major islands, namely: Batan which contains the capital town of Basco), Sabtang and Itbayat. The Batanes Archipelago was formally annexed to the Philippine Islands under the Spanish rule on the 26th of June, 1783. The complete evangelization of the island took almost a century. Education, centered on the Catholic faith, was introduced with the religious work. Prior to the Spanish rule, the Ivatan ancestors had developed a unique culture of their own and the population then was placed at about 30,000, excluding those from Itbayat.
The Province of Batanes today boosts of undisturbed and unspoiled beauty of nature preserved by the peace-loving Ivatans. A complete ecotourism destination, Batanes offers a kaleidoscope of natural beauty and ecological attractions from its rich marine resources to its verdant rolling terrain.
