Palawan is a narrow archipelago of 1,700 islands on the western border of the Philippines. It is geographical location makes it seem remote from the rest of the country, and in fact, some of its southern islands are closer to Malaysia than to other provinces. The waters of the South China Sea lap the western shores of Palawan, while the Sulu Sea hugs its eastern coast. With a land area of more than 1.7 million hectares, Palawan is the country’s largest province.