Jolo

Jolo is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Mindanao and Borneo, and has a population of approximately 300,000 people.

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Jolo is also the name of the town on the island which serves as the capital of the province of Sulu, within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

About a third of the island's population live in the municipality of Jolo.

The island is part of the Jolo Group of volcanoes, and contains numerous volcanic cones and craters, including the active Bud Dajo cinder cone.

The former Sultanate of Sulu was the site of continuing fierce resistance to its forcible inclusion in American occupied Philippines. Admiral George Dewey, commander of US forces invading the Spanish Philippines in 1899, entered into a treaty with the Sultan of Sulu recognising the continuing independence of the Sultanate of Sulu in return for sultanate forces assisting US forces defeat the Spanish in the Philippines. US Congress later repudiated the treaty, leading to the US invasion of the sultanate and its forcible inclusion into American occupied Philippines. The former Sultanate was the site of fierce resistance to this forcible inclusion, and continues to be the site of armed resistance to Republic of the Philippines denial of its separate existence.

Fighting on the island flared up again in February 2005 when between 4,000 and 5,000 Philippine troops clashed with around 800 Islamist militants from the Abu Sayyaf group, along with followers of Nur Misuari. Up to 12,000 people were thought to have fled the fighting. Fighting is still continuing (2009).