Maranao is the term used for the people of Lanao, a predominantly Muslim region in the Philippine island of Mindanao. They are famous for their artworks, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature. The word Maranao, also spelled Maranaw, means "People of the Lake", referring to the indigenous people who inhabited the lands around Lake Lanao whose principal town is Marawi City. Maranaos are the tenth largest Filipino ethnic group. Lanao is the name of two provinces in the Philippines: Lanao del Norte Lanao del Sur It is also the name of a lake in the Philippines: Lanao Lake This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country, with Luzon and Visayas being the other two. ... Lake Lanao a large lake in the Philippines, located in Lanao del Sur province in the countrys southern island of Mindanao. ... Marawi City is a 1st class city in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. ...

Area

The Maranaos primarily live in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, and many are settlers in Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Maguindanao, and in many southern Philippine islands from Basilan exending to Tawi-Tawi. Small communities of Maranaos, mostly traders, can be found in all major towns of the Philippines. Lanao del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). ... Lanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. ... Zamboanga del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. ... Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. ... Cotabato can refer to three places in Mindanao in the Philippines: The province of Cotabato (formerly North Cotabato) The province of South Cotabato Cotabato City All three places are distinct from each other and are part of the SOCCSKSARGEN region. ... Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). ...

Demographics

Maranaos number about 1,142,000. They are the descendants of Muslim Malays who came to the Philippines. Their royals have varied influsions of Arabic, Malayan, Indonesian, as well as Chinese blood. The Maranaos also are one of the ethnic groups in the Philippines who are fair-skinned, probably attributable to Arab and Chinese admixtures. The language of the Maranao people is also called Maranao. It is a language spoken by approximately 800,000 people living in areas near Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte. The language can be traced from the Southern Philippine sub-branch of the Western Austronesian language family, and is closely related to the Illanun language spoken in Sabah and Malaysia. It is also close to Maguindanaon, the language spoken in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Zamboanga del Sur provinces. The vast majority of Maranaos are Muslims. A few, especially those living in the hills around Lake Lanao practice Islam diluted with traces of pre-Islamic traditions. A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... Three-quarter scale bronze sculptures 19th C. Malay people, Indonesia, Borneo. ... Lanao del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). ... Lanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. ... The Illanun are an ethnic group of Borneo, residing primarily on the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia, in 17 villages around the Lahad Datu and Kota Belud districts; also in Kudat. ... Maguindanaon is an Austronesian language spoken by majority of the population of Maguindanao Province in the Philippines. ... Lake Lanao a large lake in the Philippines, located in Lanao del Sur province in the countrys southern island of Mindanao. ...

Musical Heritage

Main articles: Music of the Philippines and Kulintang

The native Maranao have a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintang music, a specific type of gong music, found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines. In 2005, the Darangen Epic of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao was selected by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Filipino music is a mixture of European, American and indigenous sounds. ... Kulintang is a term for various musical instruments and musical genres which are indigenous to the South-East Asian islands presently known as Indonesia and the Philippines. ... Kulintang is a term for various musical instruments and musical genres which are indigenous to the South-East Asian islands presently known as Indonesia and the Philippines. ... UNESCO logo UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Map showing the Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage by country designation as of 2005: red (countries with 4 designations), orange (3), yellow (2) and green (1). ...

History

Previous to the occupation of the Philippines by Spanish, and later American and Japanese, the Maranaos had their own kingdom with a Sultan ruler due to the influence of Muslim missionaries.

External links

• Traditional Music of the Southern Philippines - An online textbook about Southern Pilipino Kulintang Music. Has chapters devoted to kulintang instrumentation, styles and uses by the Maranao and other Southern Pilipino Groups.