Negros (English: /ˈneɪɡroʊs, ˈnɛɡ-/,[5] UK: /ˈneɪɡrɒs/,[6] Tagalog: [ˈnegɾos]) is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of 13,309 km2 (5,139 sq mi).

[7] The coastal zone of the southern part of Negros is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Triangle.

[15] Negros was originally called Buglas, an old Hiligaynon word thought to mean "cut off", as it is believed that the island was separated from a larger landmass.

Upon arriving on the island in April 1565, the Spanish colonizers called the land Negros, after the dark-skinned natives they observed.

After appointing encomenderos for the island, Miguel López de Legazpi placed Negros under the jurisdiction of the governor of Oton in Panay.

The Spanish Governor, D. Isidro Castro y Cinceros, surrendered to the Negros Revolutionaries, led by Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta, on November 6, 1898.

From November 3 – 6, 1898, the Negrense peoples rose in revolt against the local Spanish colonial government headed by politico-military governor Colonel Isidro de Castro.

The revolutionaries, led by General Juan Araneta from Bago and General Aniceto Lacson from Talisay, bore fake arms consisting of rifles carved out of palm fronds and cannons of rolled bamboo mats painted black.

By the afternoon of November 6, Col. de Castro signed the Act of Capitulation, thus ending centuries of Spanish colonial rule in Negros Occidental.

On November 27, 1898, the Cantonal Republic of Negros unilaterally proclaimed independence, but this was short-lived as the territory became a protectorate of the United States on April 30, 1899.

These haciendas littered the countryside as the central sugar mills eventually grew to become full pledged towns and cities: chief among which were Ilog, Hinigaran, La Carlota, Silay, Pulupandan, Bacolod, San Carlos and Bais.

[23] The east side of Negros was not as thickly settled but became a center of education as[19]: 520  on 9 April 1901, the Second Philippine Commission under the chairmanship of William H. Taft arrived in Dumaguete.

By the time Ferdinand Marcos' second term began, sugar had become a critical Philippine export, responsible for 27% of the county's total foreign exchange earnings.

[31] This was the situation on September 20, 1985, which marked the date of the Escalante massacre, in which paramilitary forces under the command of Marcos-allied Negros Occidental Governor Armando Gustilo gunned down farmers protesting social conditions on the 13th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

183 signed by (former) President Benigno Aquino III on May 29 of 2015, due to the reason of the lack of funds to fully establish the NIR according to Benjamin Diokno, the Secretary of Budget and Management.

Its dissolution upset the NIR regional officials and provoked strong negative reactions from the Negrenses.

Although Bacolod serves as the capital, it is governed independently from its corresponding province as a highly urbanized city.

It is where oil companies, factories, bottling plants, allied industrial businesses, steel fabrication, power generation, agri-businesses, prawn culture and other aqua-culture ventures are found.

[49] By November 2016, Negros generated a total net worth of ₱14.355 billion,[50] placing its provinces among the richest in the country.

Kanlaon Volcano, as well as many other neighbouring peaks, are popular amongst mountain climbers and hikers visiting Negros.

The top attractions in Cauayan are the Punta Bulata White Beach Resort and Danjugan Island, which serves as a major diving spot in Negros Occidental.

Dauin is known for its beach resorts and Apo Island, a famous diving spot and marine reserve in Negros Oriental.

Bais has since then become a tourist spot for whale and dolphin watching,[55] due to its coastline touching the Tañon Strait.

Antulang Beach Resort and Tambobo Bay, as well as the inland Lake Balanan serve as three important attractions in the town of Siaton.

Situated within the towns of Sibulan, San Jose and Valencia is the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, which serves as an important draw for tourists going to inland Negros Oriental.

There are regularly scheduled fast ferry and roll-on/roll-off services for the island region's coastal cities and towns.

Inland towns and cities of Negros uses hydroelectric power acquired from springs, rivers and waterfalls.

Due to the island region's sugarcane-based agriculture, Negros may become the nation's major biofuel producer, with sugarcane being used for ethanol production.

[57] Negros, like the Central Philippines (Visayas) overall, is generally recognized as a top priority area for wildlife conservation, both in terms of numbers of endemic species and severity of threat.