Cuyo Archipelago

{{Short description|Group of islands in the Philippines}}

{{Infobox islands

| name = Cuyo Archipelago

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| image_name = Cuyo Islands map.jpg

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| map = Philippines

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| map_caption = Location within the Philippines

| map_relief = yes

| location = Sulu Sea

| coordinates = {{coord|10|51|N|121|01|E|type:isle_region:PH|display=inline,title}}

| archipelago =

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| total_islands = 45

| major_islands = {{unbulleted list | Agutaya | Cuyo | Magsaysay }}

| area_sqmi = 50

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| elevation_m = 251

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| highest_mount = Mount Bonbon

| country = Philippines

| country_admin_divisions_title = Region

| country_admin_divisions = Mimaropa

| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = Province

| country_admin_divisions_1 = Palawan

| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = Municipality

| country_admin_divisions_2 = {{unbulleted list | Agutaya | Cuyo | Magsaysay }}

| demonym = Cuyonon

| population = 48,959

| population_as_of = 2020

| density_sqmi =

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The Cuyo Archipelago or Cuyo Islands, is a group of about 45 islands lying to the northeast of the Philippine island of Palawan.Traveler's Companion Philippines 1998 p.214 Kirsten Ellis, Globe Pequot Press Globe Pequot, 1998 It lies south of Mindoro and between Northern Palawan and Panay. It is centered on the largest island of the archipelago, Cuyo Island, with an area of {{convert|22|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}} and is about {{convert|9|mi|km|0}} long.

The 45 islands and islets of the archipelago form a total land area of {{convert|50|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}}.[https://books.google.com/books?id=6Pn0Pfh1Cl0C&pg=PA24 The Philippine Island world: a physical, cultural, and regional geography by Frederick L. Wernstedt, Joseph Earle Spencer p.24] Cuyo is divided into two island groups. To the north is the Quiniluban group. To the south is the Cuyo group, where the centers of the three municipalities namely Cuyo, Agutaya, and Magsaysay are located.

Geologically, the islands are related to the main island of Palawan. They are positioned on the western edge of the Luzon Arc. Cuyo island is volcanic. The northern islands of Quiniluban seem to be uplifted coral atolls, although the heights of some of the peaks strongly suggest volcanic uplift. There have been plans before to establish the Cuyo Archipelago as a separate province from Palawan, just like what happened when Batanes became independent from Cagayan province. Many other islands of the group are purely corallian.

Cuyo is divided in three municipalities, namely Cuyo, Agutaya, and Magsaysay:

• Cuyo, Palawan (southern and western part)
• Magsaysay, Palawan (eastern part)
• Agutaya, Palawan (northern part)

Altogether, 45,718 people inhabit the Cuyo group of islands.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/hsd/pressrelease/MIMAROPA.pdf |title=Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010 |work=2010 Census of Population and Housing |publisher=National Statistics Office |accessdate=7 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115103316/http://www.census.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/hsd/pressrelease/MIMAROPA.pdf |archivedate=15 November 2012 }}

Some of the main islands, or island groups, are:

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• Quiniluban
• Pamalican
• Manamoc

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• Agutaya
• Cuyo

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