The Province of Batanes is an archipelago province in the region of Cagayan Valley, Philippines. It is the northernmost province of the Philippines and is also the smallest province, both in terms of population and land area. The provincial capital is Basco on Batan Island.

The province is a tiny archipelago, consisting of 10 islands. Three of these are inhabited: Batan, the main island and the second largest, Itbayat, the largest and Sabtang. The rest are Mavudis, Misanga, Ditarem, Siayan, Dinem, Vuhos, Adekey. The northernmost island is Mavudis, also known as Yami. The indigenous people of Batanes are called Ivatans who are nationally acclaimed as the True Insulares. With the passage of time, they have managed to keep the purity of their genes. Batanes boasts its local attractions like historic churches, unique architecture of Ivatan houses, intermittent sandy beaches, countryside panoramic views, rock formations and rugged terrains.

Quick facts

Governor:MARILOU H. CAYCO

Vice Governor:IGNACIO C. VILLA

POPULATION:18,831 (As of 2020)

GEOGRAPHY: Batanes is the smallest province of the Philippines, with a land mass only one third of that of Metro Manila. Its vast territorial waters of 4,500 square kilometers is around 20 times more than its land area of only about 229 square kilometers of which 31.5 square kilometers represent the combined land areas of the 7 uninhabited islets. The island group is located about 162 kilometres (101 mi) north of Luzon and about 190 kilometres (120 mi) south of Taiwan, separated from the Babuyan Islands of Cagayan Province, Luzon, by the Balintang Channel and from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel.

CITY: 0

TOWNS/MUNICIPALITIES:6 (Basco, Mahatao, Ivana, Uyugan, and the island municipalities of Sabtang Itbayat.)

BARANGAYS: 29

LANGUAGE: Ivatan, Itbayaten, Isamurongen, Ilocano, Tagalog, English

RELIGION: The large majority (94%) of the island's people adhere to Roman Catholicism. The remaining faiths are other Christian Churches.