n.
Island (pop., 2000: 3,691,784) in the Visayan group, central Philippines.
It is the fourth largest island of the archipelago and is shaped like a boot. The island is about 135 mi (217 km) long and has an area of 4,907 sq mi (12,710 sq km). It produces about half of all Philippine sugar and is one of the wealthiest and most politically influential regions in the country. Bacolod , on the northwestern coast, is its largest city and an important sugar exporter.