The Philippines are made up of more than 7,000 islands. The two largest islands, Luzon and Mindanao, anchor the northern and southern ends of the archipelago. Seven smaller islands, and scores of smaller island constitute the Visayas or central Philippine group. The Visayas include: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, and Masbate.
The majority of Filipinos are Asians speaking languages related to those of Indonesia and Polynesia. Christian and Traditional religions predominate in the northern islands, while Mindanao and the south are Muslim.