Abra Province
is one of the provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon and its capital is Bangued. It is bordered by Ilocos Norte and Apayao on the north, Ilocos Sur and Mountain Province on the south, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur on the west, and Kalinga and Apayao on the east.

BRIEF PROFILE
Land Area:	4,165.25 km2 (1,608.21 sq mi)
Population:	234,733
Municipalities:	Bangued, Boliney, Bucay, Bucloc, Daguioman, Danglas, Dolores, La Paz, Lacub, Lagangilang, Lagayan, Langiden, Licuan-Baay, Luba, Malibcong, Manabo, Peñarrubia, Pidigan, Pilar, Sallapadan, San Isidro, San Juan, San Quintin, Tayum, Tineg, Tubo, Villaviciosa

A Brief History

Abra was originally called El Abra de Vigan ("The Opening of Vigan"). Abra was first inhabited by the ancestors of the Bontocs and the Ifugaos and the Tingguians or Itnegs.

In 1818, the Ilocos region, including Abra, was divided into Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. In 1846, Abra was created as a political-military province with Lepanto as a sub-province. It remained so until the arrival of the Americans in 1899.

In 1908 the Philippine Commission once again in annexed Abra to Ilocos Sur in an attempt to resolve Abra's financial difficulties. On March 9, 1917, the Philippine Assembly re-established Abra as a province.

In 1942, the Japanese forces occupied the Philippines and entered Abra.

Abra was liberated by the Philippine Commonwealth forces and local Cordilleran guerrillas during the Battle of Abra in 1945, at the end of the Second World War. The revolutionary Marxist priest, Conrado Balweg, who fought for the rights of the Cordillera tribes, began his crusade in Abra. After successfully negotiating a peace accord with Balweg's group in 1987, the Philippine government created the Cordillera Administrative Region, which includes Abra.