Central Visayas

Central Visayas Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an Gitnang Kabisayaan
Region
Clockwise from the top: Magellan's Cross, Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape, Panglao Island, St. Francis of Assisi Church (Siquijor), Chocolate Hills, Niludhan Falls, Moalboal Reef
Nickname(s):  Center of Christianity Rehiyon sa mga Sugboanon (Region of the Cebuanos)
Location in the Philippines
OpenStreetMap
Coordinates: 10°0′N 123°30′E / 10.000°N 123.500°E / 10.000; 123.500
Country	Philippines
Island group	Visayas
Regional center and largest city	Cebu City
Area
• Total	15,895.66 km2 (6,137.35 sq mi)
Highest elevation (Mount Kanlaon)	2,465 m (8,087 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[1]
• Total	8,081,988
• Density	510/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ISO 3166 code	PH-07
Provinces	4 Bohol Cebu Negros Oriental Siquijor
Cities	16 Bais Bayawan Bogo Canlaon Carcar Cebu City Danao Dumaguete Guihulngan Lapu-Lapu City Mandaue Naga Tagbilaran Talisay Tanjay Toledo
Municipalities	116
Barangays	3,003
Cong. districts	11
Languages	Cebuano Boholano Porohanon Bantayanon Hiligaynon Tagalog English
GDP (2023)	₱1.58 trillion $28.38 billion[2]
Growth rate	(7.3%)[2]
HDI	0.704 (High)
HDI rank	4th in the Philippines (2019)

Central Visayas (Cebuano: Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an; Tagalog: Gitnang Kabisayaan or Gitnang Visayas) is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VII. It consists of four provinces: Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. The region also has three highly urbanized cities: Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue.

The regional center and largest city is Cebu City. The Cebuano language is the region's lingua franca. The region is also dominated by the native speakers of four Visayan languages: Bantayanon, Boholano, Hiligaynon, and Porohanon. With a population of 8,081,988 inhabitants, it is the most populous region in the Visayas.

In 2015, Central Visayas was redefined when it lost the province of Negros Oriental to the newly formed Negros Island Region. However, the Negros Island Region was dissolved in 2017, returning Negros Oriental to Central Visayas.