Panglao Island Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Panglao Island
Geography
Alona beach on Panglao Island
Location in Philippines
Location	Bohol Sea
Coordinates	9°36′N 123°49′E / 9.600°N 123.817°E / 9.600; 123.817
Archipelago	Visayas
Demographics
Population	68,051

Panglao is a small island in the north Bohol Sea, in the Central Visayas Region of the Visayas island group, in the south-central Philippines.

The island is an important touristic place because of the beaches found here and the presence of coral reefs near the island.

Geography
Biodiversity
Administrative divisions
Related pages
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Geography

The island of Panglao has an area of 91.12 km² (35.18 sq mi). The island had a population, as of 2010, of 68,051, for a population density of 746.8 inhabitants/km².

The island is in the northern part of the Bohol Sea (or Mindanao Sea), to the southwest of the island of Bohol and to the east of the island of Cebu. Panglao is separated from the Bohol island by a narrow strait, the Tagbilaran Strait, and two bridges connect the island with the city of Tagbilaran.

There are several smaller islands close to Panglao, such as Gak-ang, Pontod, and Balicasag.

Panglao has a terrain that range from plain, hilly to mountainous, composed by a limestone that is soluble and that causes the formation of caves and sinkholes. One interesting geological feature of the island is the Hinagdanan Cave which has an underground water source; because there no rivers or lakes in the island, the cave is an important water source.

Biodiversity

During the works of the Panglao Marine Biodiversity Project, about 250 new species of crustaceans and 1,500-2,500 new species of mollusks were found in the waters of Panglao and Balicasag. The project found that Panglao alone has more marine biodiversity than Japan and the Mediterranean sea.

Because of this biodiversity, the island was proposed in 2006 as a World Heritage Site by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines.