Lanao del Norte became a Province on July 4, 1959 through Republic Act No. 2228 which divided the old Lanao into two Provinces the Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, generally following the natural divide of the Lanao mountain range. Iligan City became the first capital of Lanao del Norte while Marawi City the capital of the old Lanao, remained as the capital of Lanao del Sur. Then on June 24, 1982, the capital of Lanao del Norte was transferred to the Municipality of Tubod through Batas Pambansa 181, leaving Iligan City an independent chartered city.
Lanao del Norte is situated in Northern Mindanao, along the northwest and southwest coast of the Mindanao Island. It is bounded on the north by Iligan Bay, on the east by the Provinces of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon, on the south to southwest by the Illana Bay and the Celebes Sea, and on the west by the Province of Zamboanga del Sur and Panguil Bay, with the Province of Misamis Occidental on the other side of Panguil Bay.
The Province of Lanao del Norte links Western Mindanao to Eastern and Central Mindanao. It is the land bridge of the Zamboanga Peninsula to the rest of Mindanao. It also serves as the gateway to Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur and cities of Tangub, Oroquieta and Ozamis in Misamis Occidental as well as to Lanao del Sur through the Tukuran-Malabang and Tubod-Ganassi National Highways.
