Editing Basilan (section)

==Etymology==
[[File:Basih weapons.jpg|thumb|Examples of finely crafted Moro blades made from Basilan "basih" (iron).]]
[[Antonio Pigafetta]] of the [[Magellan Expedition]], records the name of Basilan as "Taghima", and was variously spelled in other early European maps as "Tanguima", "Taglima", "Tagimar", "Tagema", and "Tagyto". The first record of it being called "Basilan" is by a Jesuit historian, Fr. Colin.<ref name="Ocampo">{{cite book |last1=Ocampo |first1=Ambeth |title=Looking Back: Volume 1 |date=2012 |publisher=Anvil Publishing, Inc. |isbn=9789712736087}}</ref> 

Oral traditions of the local Yakan people include several names for pre-historic Basilan: "Uleyan", which is derived from the present-named [[List of inactive volcanoes in the Philippines#Sulu|Basilan Peak]] (Puno Mahaji), and later changed to "Matangal" after a mountain farther to the east of the island. These names were presumably used by the Maguindanao traders from mainland [[Mindanao]], using these mountains as navigation landmarks when sailing the [[Celebes Sea]].

Other names romantically given were "Puh Gulangan" or "island of forests", "Umus Tambun" or "fertile land", "Kumalarang" after the westward flowing river on the island's western half which is otherwise called Baunuh Peggesan.