7,641 Islands Quiz

Ask almost anyone who went to school in the Philippines how many islands the country has, and you will probably hear “7,107.” It was the textbook answer for decades. Today, the official figure from the country’s national mapping agency is 7,641.

Those 534 “new” islands did not suddenly rise from the sea. They had been there all along, too small, too remote or too tucked into mangroves and coastlines to be counted with older survey methods. Modern radar mapping finally brought them into focus.

Chapter 1From 7,107 to 7,641: how the count changed

Counting islands sounds simple until you try it. Many Philippine islands are tiny, sit in remote seas or blend into coastlines, reefs and mangrove forests. Older maps simply could not capture them all, so the figure of 7,107 stood for most of the 20th century.

Radar has a big advantage over ordinary photography: it can “see” through cloud cover, which is common over a tropical country, and it measures land height precisely. That made it possible to spot small landforms that earlier surveys missed.

Chapter 2What actually counts as an island?

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, that stays above water at high tide. That last part matters. A sandbar that pokes out only at low tide doesn’t count, no matter how solid it looks at noon.

This is also why island counts can change over time. Volcanic eruptions can create new land, erosion and storms can wear islands away, and better technology keeps refining what the maps show.

Chapter 3The three island groups

The archipelago is traditionally divided into three major island groups. They are so central to Filipino identity that the three stars on the national flag represent them.

Chapter 4The 10 largest islands

Most of the 7,641 islands are small. The two giants, Luzon and Mindanao, are each far bigger than the next eight combined. Many people are surprised to learn that Negros, not Samar or Palawan, takes third place.

Areas rounded to the nearest square kilometer. Data: PhilAtlas list of Philippine islands.

Chapter 5The archipelago by the numbers

Only a small share of the islands are inhabited. Estimates commonly put the number at around 2,000 or fewer, and thousands of islands still have no official name.

Chapter 6Island passport: eight famous stops

Chapter 7Island myths, corrected

Chapter 8Island-hop responsibly

With so many islands to explore, a few simple habits help protect the reefs, beaches and communities that make them special.

• Leave the sand and shellsMany destinations prohibit taking them, and they are part of the ecosystem.
• Don’t stand on coralReefs grow very slowly and are easily damaged by feet and fins.
• Pack out your trashSmall islands often have limited waste facilities.
• Follow local rules and feesEnvironmental fees help fund conservation and island upkeep.

Chapter 9Frequently asked questions