Samar

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Samar

Samar island satellite image captured by Sentinel-2 in 2016
Location within the Philippines
Geography
Coordinates	12°00′N 125°00′E / 12.000°N 125.000°E / 12.000; 125.000
Archipelago	Visayas
Adjacent to	Leyte Gulf Philippine Sea Samar Sea San Bernardino Strait San Juanico Strait
Area	13,428.8 km2 (5,184.9 sq mi)[1]
Area rank	63rd
Coastline	800.6 km (497.47 mi)[2]
Highest elevation	890 m (2920 ft)
Highest point	Mount Huraw
Administration
Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas
Provinces	Eastern Samar Northern Samar (Western) Samar
Largest settlement	Calbayog (pop. 186,960)
Demographics
Population	1,909,537 (2020)[3]
Pop. density	140/km2 (360/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Visayans (Waray-Waray)

Samar (/ˈsɑːmɑːr/ SAH-mar) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided into three provinces: Samar (formerly Western Samar), Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar. These three provinces, along with the provinces on the nearby islands of Leyte and Biliran, are part of the Eastern Visayas region.

About a third of the island of Samar is protected as a natural park, known as the Samar Island Natural Park.

On June 19, 1965, through Republic Act No. 4221, Samar was divided into three provinces: Northern Samar, (Western) Samar and Eastern Samar. The capitals of these provinces are, respectively, Catarman, Catbalogan, and Borongan.^[4] In commemoration of the establishment of these provinces, June 19 is celebrated as an annual holiday and many have the day off from work.