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Provincial Profile

Location:

      The province of Batanes, a group of islands, is the northernmost and smallest province of the Philippines. The islands is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean in the east, and China Sea on the West and the Balintang and Bashi Channels on the South and North respectively. The Pacific ocean drains into the China Sea and vice-versa creating powerful and treacherous underwater currents. This combined with each distance from the mainland, the strong winds that blow throughout most of the year and frequent typhoons, has kept the islands in relatively state of isolation.

Size:

      The province consists of 10 islands and islets with a total land area of 23,000 hectares and marine territorial waters of 450,000 hectares. It is composed of six (6) municipalities and twenty-nine (29) barangays with Basco as the Provincial capital. The smaller islands of Dequey, Siayan, Ivuhos, Mavudis, Diogo, North Island and Y'ami. Ivuhos, Mavudis, and Siayan, are used as pasture areas by residents of nearby Sabtang and Itbayat Islands. The Pacific Ocean lies in the east and the South China Sea in the West.

Climate:

      Batanes has a Type IV climate under the Coronas system and is characterized by unpronounced wet or dry seasons. Rainfall occurs every month. The combination of good drainage and abundant rainfall makes crop cultivation possible throughout the year. Unpredictable, harsh weather and sea spray during windy months often destroy crops. There are wide fluctuations in the rainfall pattern even for the same month from year to year. Batanes lies in a typhoon path and most typhoons occur between June and September although they also occur occasionally in October and March. Recently there have been fewer typhoons than in previous years.

Population:

      There are 86 people for every square kilometer in the
province. 15,656 (May 2000 census) 3,329 households.
Basco, the capital town of the province serves as the main
servicing and economic center. It is the most densely
populated municipality with 150 people per square
kilometer. The three other municipalities in the main island
of Batan, Mahatao, Ivana, and Uyugan respectively with
139, 69 and 82 persons per square kilometer. The island
municipality of Itbayat, has just 34 persons per square
kilometer.