Which Philippine peninsula is the site of the Bataan Death March?

The Philippine peninsula that became the starting point of the Bataan Death March was the Bataan Peninsula.

Bataan occupies the southwestern portion of Luzon and faces the South China Sea, Subic Bay, and Manila Bay. Its position guarding the western entrance to Manila Bay made it strategically important during World War II. American and Filipino forces withdrew there after Japan invaded the Philippines in December 1941.

The Battle of Bataan ended with the surrender of most defenders on April 9, 1942. Japanese forces then forced approximately 76,000 American and Filipino prisoners to march more than 100 kilometers from Bataan to Capas in Tarlac. The brutal journey became known as the Bataan Death March, although the march itself continued beyond the peninsula.

A common mix-up is confusing Bataan with the larger island of Luzon: Bataan is a province occupying the peninsula, while Luzon is the Philippine archipelago's largest island. The Bataan Peninsula also contains Mount Samat, site of the Dambana ng Kagitingan memorial.