Leyte Provincia de Leyte (Spanish) Lalawigan ng Leyte (Tagalog) Probinsya sa Leyte (Cebuano) Probinsya han Leyte (Leyte Waray-waray)
—  Province  —
Flag Seal
Map of the Philippines with Leyte highlighted
Coordinates: 11°00′10″N 124°51′28″E / 11.00278°N 124.85778°E / 11.00278; 124.85778Coordinates: 11°00′10″N 124°51′28″E / 11.00278°N 124.85778°E / 11.00278; 124.85778
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Founded	1543 and March 10, 1917
Capital	Tacloban City
Government
• Governor	Carlos Jericho Petilla (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
Area
• Total	5,901.5 km2 (2,278.6 sq mi)
Area rank	13th out of 80
Population (2007)
• Total	1,544,251
• Rank	13th out of 80
• Density	260/km2 (680/sq mi)
• Density rank	24th out of 80
Divisions
• Independent cities	2
• Component cities	1
• Municipalities	41
• Barangays	1,393 including independent cities: 1,641
• Districts	1st to 5th districts of Leyte (shared with Ormoc and Tacloban cities)
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP Code
Spoken languages	Waray-Waray, English, Spanish

Leyte (also Northern Leyte; Filipino: Hilagang Leyte) is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran. To the west of Leyte across the Camotes Sea is Cebu Province.

History[link]

Discovery[link]

The explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, first came to the island in 1543 and named it Las Islas Felipinas.

Battle of Leyte Gulf[link]

During World War II under the Japanese Occupation, the 9th and 92nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was reestablished from 1942 to 1946 at the military general headquarters and military camps and garrisoned in Tacloban and Ormoc before the liberation of the Philippines was the military unit organization and started by the Anti-Japanese military operations in the province of Leyte from 1942 to 1945 to helping the local guerrilla groups under by Colonel Ruperto Kangleon and the American liberating forces and fought against the Japanese Imperial forces.

When Americans stormed ashore at Leyte, it fulfilled a promise to return made by Gen. Douglas MacArthur made in the days following the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese in 1942.

The Battle of Leyte Gulf took place in the seas surrounding this island from 23 October to 26 October 1944. It was the largest naval battle in modern history, when at least 212 Allied ships clashed with the remnants of the Imperial Japanese Navy, some 60 ships, including the super battleships Yamato and Musashi.

The First Battle of Leyte occurred on 20 October 1944. A successful Allied invasion of the island was the crucial element to the eventual Filipino and American victory in the Philippines.

Proposed Division of Leyte[link]

In March 27, 1923, Act No. 3117 proposed to divide Leyte into Occidental Leyte and Oriental Leyte but was not proclaimed by the Governor-General of the Philippines.

People, language and culture[link]

The people of Leyte are divided into two main groups, primarily by language. In the west and south are the Cebuanos, while in the north and east is the Waray-Waray (Leyte dalect).

There are also some Spanish mestizos and some natives of the province who can understand and speak Spanish due to the province's colonial history.

According to the Year 2000 census, 97% of Leyte's population is Roman Catholics, one of the highest percentage in the Visayas. While the remaining 3% are either adherents of other different Christian sects such as the indigenous Iglesia ni Cristo, Baptists, Evangelicals, Mennonites, and Mormons.

Economy[link]

The economy of Leyte depends on agriculture. Rice is farmed in the lower flatter areas specifically those around Tacloban, while coconut farming, for coconut oil is the main cash crop of the more mountainous areas. Fishing is also a major source of livelihood among residents.

The province is the site of the largest geothermal plant in Asia, making it one of the resource-rich provinces of the Philippines.

Political divisions[link]

Leyte Provincial Capitol - briefly became the seat of Philippine Commonwealth Government during the World War II era

Leyte is subdivided into 41 municipalities and three cities. The municipalities are clustered into 5 congressional districts.

Ormoc City is an independent component city, while the capital Tacloban was declared a highly-urbanized city in 2008. Both cities govern themselves independently of the province and their residents do not vote for elective provincial officials. Baybay attained cityhood in 2007 but reverted to its municipal status when the Supreme Court declared its city charter unconstitutional in 2008; however, Baybay would regain its city status following the reversal of the Supreme Court decision dated December 22, 2009. But on August 2010 a resolution has been passed striking down the 16 cities, since Baybay is part of the cities,it is no more a city.But, on February 15, 2011 Baybay is a city once again. The Supreme Court reversed its decision once again and Baybay now is a city.^[1]

Highly urbanized city[link]

• Tacloban

Component city[link]

• Baybay

Independent component city[link]

• Ormoc

Municipalities[link]