Basilan

American  

[buh-see-lahn] / bəˈsi lɑn /

noun

1. an island in the Philippines, southwest of Mindanao. 495 sq. mi. (1,282 sq. km).

2. Formerly Isabela. a city on this island.

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Basilan British  

/ bæˈsiːlæn, bəˈsiːlɑːn /

noun

1. a group of islands in the Philippines, SW of Mindanao

2. the main island of this group, separated from Mindanao by the Basilan Strait . Area: 1282 sq km (495 sq miles)

3. a city on Basilan Island. Pop: 381 000 (2005 est)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Basilan

The MV Lady Mary Joy 3 was on its way to Basilan island from Zamboanga city, a major port in the main southern island of Mindanao.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

"We're near Basilan, but it took them more than three hours to respond to us," he said.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

Basilan Governor Jim Hataman initially reported 31 deaths Thursday but later reduced the toll to 29 after search and rescue groups crossed-checked their figures.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 31, 2023

The ship was at sea, near an island in the southern province of Basilan, when the fire occurred on Wednesday evening, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2023

So, between nine and ten o’clock that night, we sailed for Tawi Tawi, passing east of Basilan and Sulu.

From A Woman's Journey through the Philippines On a Cable Ship that Linked Together the Strange Lands Seen En Route by Florence Kimball Russel

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