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Maranao is the name of 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. The word Maranao means "People of the Lake", the title for the people who inhabited around the Lake Lanao in Marawi City.
Previous to the occupation of the Philippines by Spanish, and later American and Japanese, the people of the place had its own kingdom with a Sultan ruler due to the influence of Muslim missionaries. They are one of the largest Muslim groups in the Philippines.
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 Ilanun 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.
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