a chain of over 500 islands in the SW Philippines, separating the Sulu Sea from the Celebes Sea: formerly a sultanate, ceded to the Philippines in 1940. Capital: Jolo. Pop: 619 668 (2000). Area: 2686 sq km (1037 sq miles)
Sulu Archipelago in American English
(ˈsulu)
group of islands in the Philippines, southwest of Mindanao: 1,038 sq mi (2,688 sq km)