West Coast Division

Not to be confused with Western Division, Sabah.

West Coast Division is one of the 10 Divisions of Palawan. It is located on the western coast of Palawan Island, bordered by Central Division, Narra Division, East Coast Division, and Southern Division. It is the largest of the divisions in terms of land area. Its capital is Apurawan located in the central-north of the division.

Population
West Coast Division is the least densely populated of all the divisions, and is also the largest.

The population can be split roughly in half on a north-south basis, about 100,000 both north and south of Houghton Bay. The north is much more densely populated than the south, which contains the largest areas of untouched jungles in the country.

In the jungles of the far south on the western slopes of the Southern Palawan Mountains and Mount Mantalingahan live the tribal Taaw't Bato people. The area is protected from any economic activity such as mining or logging.

Logging is strictly regulated (and outright illegal in large areas) in the southern jungles of the division to protect the virgin rainforest and its fauna.

History
The division is one of the original divisions and remains unchanged since it was established. It was formely a part of Lower Paragua Province until provinces were abolished.

Near the town of Houghton Bay in the centre of the division are the Tabon Caves where the remains of the Tabon Man, an ancient human fossil, were discovered.

Geography
Like most of Lower Palawan, it consists of mainly coastal plains that rise up to spinal mountain chains in the east. It shares the country's highest peak, Mount Mantalingahan, with East Coast Division.

There are 3 mountain chains in the division, the Southern Palawan Mountains which form the border with East Coast Division, the Victoria Mountains which form the border with Narra Division, and the smaller Ventura Mountains which forms the border with Central Division.

The north-central area on the border with Narra Division is considered a part of the Palawan Heartland geographic region.