Leyte ( ) is an
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
in the
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao ...
group of islands in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has been depleted, Leyte has provided countless number of migrants to
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
.
Most inhabitants are farmers. Fishing is a supplementary activity. Rice and corn (maize) are the main food crops; cash crops include coconuts, abaca, tobacco, bananas, and sugarcane. There are some manganese deposits, and sandstone and limestone are quarried in the northwest.
Politically, the island is divided into two
provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
:
(Northern) Leyte and
Southern Leyte
Southern Leyte ( ceb, Habagatang Leyte; Kabalian: ''Habagatan nga Leyte''; war, Salatan nga Leyte; tl, Timog Leyte), officially the Province of Southern Leyte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital ...
. Territorially, Southern Leyte includes the island of
Panaon to its south. To the north of Leyte is the island province of
Biliran
Biliran, officially the Province of Biliran ( Waray-Waray: ''Probinsya han Biliran''; ceb, Lalawigan sa Biliran; tl, Lalawigan ng Biliran), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII). Biliran is ...
, a former sub-province of Leyte.
The major cities of Leyte are
Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, a ...
, on the eastern shore at the northwest corner of
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao Isl ...
, and
Ormoc
Ormoc (IPA: oɾˈmok, officially the City of Ormoc ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Ormoc; war, Syudad han Ormoc; fil, Lungsod ng Ormoc), is a 1st class independent component city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 ce ...
, on the west coast.
Leyte today is notable for the
geothermal electric power plants near Ormoc.
History
Pre-colonial period
The island was known to 16th-century Spanish explorers as Tandaya. Its population grew rapidly after 1900, especially in the Leyte and Ormoc valleys. The island was once the location of ''Mairete'', a historic community which was ruled by Datu Ete. Before being colonized by Spain, the island was once home to indigenous animist
Warays
The Waray people (or the Waray-Waray people) are a subgroup of the larger ethnolinguistic group Bisaya people, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the country. Their primary language is the Waray language (also called L ...
to the east and other indigenous animist Visayan groups to the west.
World War II
Leyte is most famous for its role in the
reconquest of the Philippines in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. On 20 October 1944, General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
waded ashore on Leyte, saying, "I have returned", but the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
did not give up so easily, as the ensuing
Battle of Leyte
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
proved. The convergence of naval forces resulted in the four-day
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf ( fil, Labanan sa golpo ng Leyte, lit=Battle of Leyte gulf; ) was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. It was fou ...
, the
largest naval battle in history
The "largest naval battle in history" is a disputed title between adherents of varying criteria which include the numbers of personnel and/or vessels involved in the naval battle, the total displacement of the vessels involved and sometimes the si ...
. During World War II the island was part of a large US Navy base
Leyte-Samar Naval Base
Leyte-Samar Naval Base was a large United States Navy base in the Philippines on the Islands of Leyte and Samar. The Base was built during World War II to support the many naval ships fighting and patrolling in the South West Pacific theatre of ...
.
Geography
The island measures about north-south and about at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins the island of
Samar
Samar ( ) 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 in ...
, separated by the
San Juanico Strait
San Juanico Strait ( war, Sulang han San Juanico) is a narrow strait in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. It separates the islands of Samar and Leyte and connects the Carigara Bay ( Samar Sea) with the San Pedro Bay (Leyte Gulf). ...
, which becomes as narrow as in some places. The island province of
Biliran
Biliran, officially the Province of Biliran ( Waray-Waray: ''Probinsya han Biliran''; ceb, Lalawigan sa Biliran; tl, Lalawigan ng Biliran), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII). Biliran is ...
is also to the north of Leyte and is joined to Leyte island by a bridge across the narrow
Biliran Strait
Biliran, officially the Province of Biliran ( Waray-Waray: ''Probinsya han Biliran''; ceb, Lalawigan sa Biliran; tl, Lalawigan ng Biliran), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII). Biliran i ...
. To the south, Leyte is separated from
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
by the
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait (Filipino: ''Kipot ng Surigaw'') is a strait in the southern Philippines, between the Bohol Sea and the Leyte Gulf of the Philippine Sea.
Geography
It is located between the regions of Visayas and Mindanao. It lies between northern ...
. To the east, Leyte is somewhat "set back" from the
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippine archipelago (hence the name), the largest in the world, occupying an estimated surface area of . The Philippine Sea Plate forms the floor of the sea. Its ...
of the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
, Samar to the northeast and the
Dinagat Islands
Dinagat Islands (Cebuano language, Cebuano: ''Mga Pulo sa Dinagat''; Surigaonon language, Surigaonon: ''Mga Puyo nan Dinagat''; Kabalian language, Kabalian: ''Mga Puyo san Dinagat''; Waray language, Waray: ''Mga Purô han Dinagat''; Filipino lang ...
to the southeast forming the
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao Isl ...
. To the west is the
Camotes Sea
The Camotes Sea is a small sea within the Philippine archipelago, situated between the Central Visayan and the Eastern Visayan regions. It separates Cebu from Leyte hence is bordered by Cebu to the west, Leyte to the east and north, and Bohol t ...
.
Leyte is mostly heavily forested and mountainous, but the
Leyte Valley
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
in the northeast has much agriculture.
Demographics
Historical and other famous sites
The Leyte provincial capitol is the seat of the provincial government where there is a mural depicting the
First Mass in the Philippines
The first documented Catholic Mass in the Philippines was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday. It was conducted by Father Pedro de Valderrama of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition along the shores of what was referred to in the journals of Antoni ...
, believed to have happened in
Limasawa
Limasawa, officially the Municipality of Limasawa ( Cebuano: ''Lungsod sa Limasawa''; Filipino: ''Bayan ng Limasawa''), is an island municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...
, and the landing of General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
.
The
MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park
The MacArthur Leyte Landing Memorial National Park (also known as the Leyte Landing Memorial Park and MacArthur Park) is a protected area of the Philippines that commemorates the historic landing of General Douglas MacArthur in Leyte Gulf at the s ...
in Red Beach,
Palo
Palo may refer to:
Places
* Palo, Argentina, a village in Argentina
* Palo, Estonia, village in Meremäe Parish, Võru County, Estonia
* Palo, Huesca, municipality in the province of Huesca, Spain
* Palo, Iowa, United States, a town located wit ...
, marks the 1944 landing by the American liberation forces. It also has a lagoon where a life-sized statue of Gen. MacArthur stands.
Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park
Mahagnao Volcano also known as part of ( Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park) is a dormant stratovolcano located in the Barangay Mahagnao part of the municipality of Burauen province of Leyte, Philippines. It is also bounded by the municipalities of ...
Located in
Burauen
Burauen (IPA: u'ɾaʊen, officially the Municipality of Burauen ( war, Bungto han Burauen; tl, Bayan ng Burauen), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 52,511 peo ...
, Leyte, about from Tacloban City, the
Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park
Mahagnao Volcano also known as part of ( Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park) is a dormant stratovolcano located in the Barangay Mahagnao part of the municipality of Burauen province of Leyte, Philippines. It is also bounded by the municipalities of ...
attracts visitors with its lakes, craters, hot springs, multi-colored mud, virgin forests and lagoon. It was proclaimed as a national park in 1937. Like other regions in the Philippines, the area enjoys a temperate climate. It has an elevation of 1,200 meters above sea level and an area of 635 hectares, within the boundaries of Burauen, La Paz and McArthur towns.
Lake Danao Lake Danao may refer to lakes in the Philippines:
* Lake Danao (Cebu) in the province of Cebu
* Lake Danao (Leyte) in the province of Leyte
* Lake Danao (Negros)
Lake Danao is the smaller of the two lakes located in the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes N ...
is a violin-shaped lake hemmed by cloud-capped mountain ranges.
Kalanggaman Island in
Palompon, Leyte
Palompon (IPA: ɐlom'pɔn, officially the Municipality of Palompon ( ceb, Lungsod sa Palompon; war, Bungto han Palompon; tl, Bayan ng Palompon), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...
is a virgin island with pure white sand. The ecological atmosphere of the island had been preserved by the municipality.
The Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum boasts the painting of the fourteen stations of the cross done by Filipino artists and a bas-relief of the legend of the first Filipino man and woman (''Malakas'' and ''Maganda'').
The
San Juanico Bridge
The San Juanico Bridge ( fil, Tulay ng San Juanico; war, Tulay han San Juanico) is part of the Pan-Philippine Highway and stretches from Samar to Leyte across the San Juanico Strait in the Philippines. Its longest length is a steel girder via ...
is the longest bridge in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
Leyte Island is the birthplace of the
Tinikling
Tinikling is a traditional Philippine folk dance which originated during the Spanish colonial era. The dance involves at least two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with on ...
dance, popular throughout the Philippines.
On Friday, 8 November 2013,
Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) destroyed 70-80% of the structures in its path on Leyte province. An estimated 10,000 people died and up to 620,000 people were displaced across the region.
Leyte was affected by
Tropical Storm Megi (2022)
Tropical Storm Megi, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Agaton, was a weak but deadly tropical cyclone that impacted the Philippines in April 2022. It was the third tropical depression, and the second tropical storm of the 2022 Pacific t ...
.
Infrastructure
Flood control
Leyte Tide Embankment Project was conceptualized as part of the program on rehabilitation from the aftermath of the
strongest typhoon, to build safer cities/communities. The
flood control
Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...
shall cover a length of about 27.3 kilometers stretching from the shoreline of Barangay Diit,
Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, a ...
City passing through the entire shoreline of the Municipality of
Palo, Leyte
Palo (IPA: ɐ'loʔ, officially the Municipality of Palo ( war, Bungto han Palo; tl, Bayan ng Palo), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 76,213 people, making i ...
and ending up to Barangay Ambao of
Tanauan, Leyte
Tanauan (IPA: ɐn'ʔaʊɐn, officially the Municipality of Tanauan ( war, Bungto han Tanauan; tl, Bayan ng Tanauan), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 57,455 ...
.
In popular culture
The 1959 Japanese film
''Nobi'' ("Fires on the Plain"), though filmed in Japan, is set in Leyte in 1945.
The film was remade in 2014 under the
same name; this version was filmed in the Philippines.
References
External links
*
*
Leyte Island – TA.com
{{Authority control
Islands of Leyte (province)
Islands of Southern Leyte