Visayas (state) (Alternity)

Visayas (VS) is a U.S. state located in the Philippine Islands, occupying the middle islands of the archipelago. It is located among the maritime borders of the states of Luzon and Mindanao. While the state is composed of several smaller islands, the main islands are Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Samar, and Siquijor. The capital is Cebu City, located in the island of Cebu. While English is the official language, the second official language is Bisaya/Visayan - which is also spoken in Mindanao.

The state was admitted to the Union on January 1, 1955, alongside the territories of Luzon and Mindanao. It was the site where Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed in during his circumnavigation around the globe before being killed in the Battle of Mactan in April 27, 1521. In 1565, the Spaniards returned and made Cebu City the administrative center of the Visayas island group. The rest of the islands were under Spanish rule for nearly 300 years until 1898, when the Philippines was handed over the United States following the Spanish-American War.

The United States would then divide the Philippines into three unorganized territories: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. During World War II, the Empire of Japan occupied these territories in 1941 up until the Liberation of the Philippines in 1945. Reconstruction soon followed post-war. By 1955, all of the territories became U.S. States.

Visayas today is a diverse state with a variety of ethnicities - due to being located in Southeast Asia. Culture is a mix of Malayo-Polynesian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and American. The economy mainly relies on tourism, fruits, agriculture, fishing, international marketing, and shipbuilding. The shipyards of Balamban in Cebu Island manufactures ships for the United States Navy. Part of the U.S. Navy's 7th fleet is harbored in Tacloban City, situated on the Pacific Coast.