Negros [key], island (1990 pop. 3,182,252), 4,905 sq mi (12,704 sq km), one of the Visayan Islands, 4th largest of the Philippines, between Panay and Cebu. Although mountainous (Mt. Canloan, a volcano, rises to c.8,088 ft/2,465 m), Negros has extensive arable lowlands; they are intensively cultivated and densely populated. Negros is the sugar center of the Philippines. Two thirds of the nation's sugarcane is grown there, and sugar processing is a major industry; paper products are made from sugarcane residue. Rice, coconuts, bananas, and corn are also grown. The island has a lumber industry and copper and coal deposits.
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