chartered city, northern Mindanao, Philippines, on the Agusan River near its mouth at Butuan Bay. A major settlement in early Spanish times, Butuan was visited by ships from Borneo and Luzon, reportedly trading for gold, cinnamon, and slaves. A Jesuit mission station was established there in the late 16th century. It has become the main commercial centre for the Agusan Valley and is served by an outport at Magallanes. A sprawling city, it is an important highway junction and has an airport. The city has several sawmills that service the logging industry of the interior, and it is a regional petroleum depot. Inc. city, 1950. Pop. (2000) 267,279.