The Philippines is an archipelago of an aggregate of more than 7000 islands. These volcanic islands are part of Pacific Ring of Fire, lying next to one of the deepest oceanic trench, the Philippine Trench.
The Philippine Archipelago comprises of three three primary areas, or group of islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Luzon is the largest and most populous of the islands, also the economic and political center. The country's capital, Manila is located on Luzon as well. The other islands of Mindoro, Palawan, and several smaller islands also belong to the Luzon group.
The Visayas group is the central region of the country, with some mid-sized and thousands of smaller islands, nested between the Sulu Sea, Bohol Sea and Sibuyan Sea. The major islands of the Visayas group are Cebu, Negros, Panay, Samar, Bohol and Leyte.
The Mindanao region is located on the southern fraction of the Philippines Map. Its dominant island is the similarly named Mindanao Island, which is the second largest island of the country. The highest elevation in the whole country is the peak of Mt. Apo on Mindanao island, just staying below 3000 meters at 2954 meters above sea level. The highest peak of Luzon is Mt. Pulog, with the height of 2922 meters.