Batan Island
# Batan Island

Batan Island (/bɑːˈtɑːn/ bah-TAHN) is the main island of Batanes, an archipelagic province in the Philippines. It is the second largest of the Batanes Islands, the northernmost group of islands in the Philippines.

## Geography

Batan is a dumbbell-shaped volcanic island, part of the Luzon Volcanic Arc. The northern part of the island is dominated by the 1,009-meter (3,310 ft) high active volcano, Mount Iraya, which last erupted in 1454. The lower portion of the island is the inactive volcano Mount Matarem, about 405 meters (1,329 ft) tall. A hilly narrow neck of land, about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi) long and from 1.9 to 2.5 kilometers (1.2 to 1.6 mi) wide, separates the two volcanoes of the island. Near Mt. Matarem, the island is at its widest at about 6.5 kilometers (4.0 mi).

Sabtang Island, the nearest island to Batan is located about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi) southwest of the southern tip of the island. Itbayat, the largest island of the archipelago, is about 32 kilometers (20 mi) northwest of the central part of Batan.

## History

### Japanese invasion

The Japanese invasion of the Philippines began with the invasion of Batan Island by a 490-man naval combat unit and an indeterminate number of air corps troops, on two transports escorted by one destroyer and four torpedo boats. This was the first landing on American territory, the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Japanese forces quickly secured the existing small airfield outside Basco without resistance and began expansion work immediately as a forward base for operations against Luzon. Work was discontinued only a few days later as the success of the Japanese bombing of Clark Field rendered a base at Basco redundant. On 10 December 1941, the naval combat force was withdrawn.

## Governance

Four of the six municipalities of Batanes are located on the 20-kilometer (12 mi) long island including the provincial capital of Basco. The other municipalities are Ivana, Mahatao and Uyugan.

