Short answers, pulled from the story.
The name Mindanao translates directly to 'land of where the lakes are found' and is derived from the Maguindanao language. This compound word combines the past tense prefix min with the root danao to serve as a cultural anchor for the Maguindanao people.
The first mosque in the country was built in the mid-14th century in the town of Simunul, Tawi-Tawi. This event marked the beginning of a new era where the largest Muslim polities controlled the southern floodplains of the Rio Grande de Mindanao.
Ruy López de Villalobos became the first Spaniard to reach Mindanao on the 2nd of February 1543. He named the island 'Caesarea Caroli' after Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire.
Mindanao serves as the major Bread Basket of the Philippines and accounts for 14% of the country's gross domestic product. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing make up more than 40% of the island's market, with Mindanao being the largest supplier of major crops such as pineapples and bananas.
Mindanao is home to Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines. The Diwata Mountains in the east reach elevations of 2,954 meters in Mount Hilong-Hilong.
The Marawi siege of May 2017 culminated in a five-month conflict that resulted in an official death toll of 1,109. More than 180,000 people were forced to evacuate Marawi City during this attack by the Maute terrorist group.