The first season of Survivor had 16 contestants.
That season is now commonly called Survivor: Borneo, though it was originally promoted simply as Survivor, Survivor 1, or Survivor: Pulau Tiga. The 16 participants were divided into two starting tribes: Pagong and Tagi.
The season was filmed on Pulau Tiga in Sabah, Malaysia, from March 13 to April 20, 2000. Contestants faced the show's early survival format for 39 days, with limited supplies, challenges, voting, and tribal alliances. After six contestants were eliminated, the remaining players merged into a single tribe called Rattana.
Richard Hatch won the season, with Kelly Wiglesworth as runner-up. The final seven eliminated contestants formed the jury that selected the winner, establishing a voting structure that became central to later seasons. The premiere aired on CBS on May 31, 2000.
The number can be confused with later seasons because Survivor expanded and changed its casting formats over time. For the first American season, however, 16 is the definitive contestant count.