The Philippines has a new official island count. According to the latest data from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), the national mapping agency, the archipelago is officially composed of 7,641 islands. This is a significant update from the long-held figure of 7,107 islands, made possible by modern Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) technology, which provides high-resolution topography data.
The newly identified islands are mostly small, uninhabited islets that were previously undetected by older surveying methods. The updated count reinforces the Philippines’ status as one of the world’s largest archipelagos and showcases the country’s vast and diverse natural geography, from world-famous beaches to remote ecological habitats.
💡 Fun Fact: The largest island in the Philippines is Luzon, with an area of about 109,965 square kilometers. The smallest named island is Isla de Mona in Occidental Mindoro. Most of the new additions to the count are similar tiny, unnamed islets.
This discovery not only sparks national pride but also holds importance for better resource management, environmental protection, and defining the country’s maritime territory.
📸 world atlas
