It includes: Historically, before the Spanish came, the Calamianes was part of the nation of Sandao a vassal state of Ma-i at nearby Mindoro.

It became the site of a Presidio or a Spanish military garrison, and the small group of islands received, almost 100 Mexican soldier-colonists in the 1670s.

[2]: 539 [3]: 31, 54, 113  During the American occupation (1898-1948), the old Provincia de Calamianes was dissolved and jointly administered with the Island of Paragua as the new Province of Palawan.

Diving spots, with coral reefs and sunken World War II Japanese shipwrecks, also lies within the waters of these islands.

Part of the North Palawan Block, Busuanga and Culion islands consist mainly of the Liminangcong Formation, a Permian to Late Jurassic chert.