/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/batan-islands

Copyright The Columbia University Press

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. The Columbia University Press

Batan Islands

Batan Islands (bätän´), island group, 76 sq mi (197 sq km), northernmost of the Philippine islands. They include the islands of Itbayat, Batan, Sabtang, and a number of islets, and comprise the province of Batanes. Basco is the provincial capital. The Batan Islands are separated from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel (50 mi/80 km wide). Coal is mined, and fishing is an important industry. In World War II, Batan Island was the site of the first Japanese landing in the Philippines (Dec. 8, 1941).

Columbia
/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/batanes

Copyright The Columbia University Press

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. The Columbia University Press

Batanes

Batanes, the Philippines: see Batan Islands.

Columbia