Samar [key], island (1990 pop. 1,246,722), 5,050 sq mi (13,079 sq km), 3d largest of the Philippines, one of the Visayan Islands, NE of Leyte (from which it is separated by the narrow San Juanico Strait). It has commercial coconut and abaca plantations. There are important lumbering, fishing, and mining industries; iron ore is extracted. S Samar was devastated in 2013 by a typhoon, and E Samar was experienced significant destruction from another typhoon in 2014.
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