Sulu
Sulu
Lupa' Sūg لُفَأْ سُوْݢْ | |
|---|---|
| Province of Sulu | |
(from top: left to right) Sulu Provincial Capitol Building in Jolo, scenery in Hadji Panglima Tahil, sunrise in Lugus and Tulay Mosque in Jolo. | |
Location in the Philippines | |
OpenStreetMap | |
| Coordinates: 6°N 121°E / 6°N 121°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Undetermined |
| Founded | September 1, 1914 |
| Capital and largest municipality | Jolo |
| Administrative center | Patikul |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlalawigan |
| • Governor | Abdusakur M. Tan (Lakas) |
| • Vice Governor | Abdusakur A. Tan II (Lakas) |
| • Legislature | Sulu Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,600.40 km2 (617.92 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 66th out of 81 |
| Highest elevation (Mount Tumatangis) | 811 m (2,661 ft) |
| Population (2020 census) | |
• Total | 1,000,108 |
| • Rank | 28th out of 81 |
| • Density | 620/km2 (1,600/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 10th out of 81 |
| Demonyms | Suluan Tausug Suluanon |
| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | 0 |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 410 |
| • Districts | Legislative districts of Sulu |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PHT) |
| ZIP code | 7400–7416 |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)68 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-SLU |
| Spoken languages | |
| Income classification | 2nd class |
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Sulu ([sʊˈlu]), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausūg: Wilaya' sin Lupa' Sūg; Filipino: Lalawigan ng Sulu), is a province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago.
It was part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), until the Supreme Court of the Philippines on September 9, 2024 declared its inclusion to be unconstitutional because of the province's simple majority vote against it during the 2019 Bangsamoro autonomy plebiscite.
Its capital is Jolo on the island of the same name. Maimbung, the royal capital of the Sultanate of Sulu, is also located in the province. Sulu is along the southern border of the Sulu Sea and the northern boundary of the Celebes Sea.
Out of all 82 provinces in the Philippines, it is the poorest, as evidenced by it having the highest poverty rate. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, poverty incidence in Sulu had reduced in 2021 with 51 percent compared to 75.3 percent in 2018. According to the PSA, this reduction in poverty incidence is an improvement for the province.