Philippines

National name

Republika ng Pilipinas

Government
Republic.

Geography
The Philippine Islands are an archipelago of over 7,000 islands lying about 500 mi (805 km) off the southeast coast of Asia. Only about 7% of the islands are larger than one square mile, and only one-third have names. The largest are Luzon in the north, Mindanao in the south, and Samar. The islands are of volcanic origin, with the larger ones crossed by mountain ranges. The highest peak is Mount Apo (9,690 ft; 2,954 m) on Mindanao.

Historical Background
The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish- American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during WWII, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Philippines attained their independence. The 20-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992 and his administration was marked by greater stability and progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998, but was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGALARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and widespread demonstrations led to his ouster. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six-year term in May 2004. The Philippine Government faces threats from armed communist insurgencies and from Muslim separatists in the south. A typhoon sunk a ferry in June 2008, killing 865 passengers and crew members. Another 500 people died during the storm.

Facts & Figures

Name

PHILIPPINES

Capital

Manila

Government

Unitary presidential constitutional republic

Language

Filipino (based on Tagalog)English

Religion

More than 90% of the population are Christians: about 80% belong to the Roman Catholic Church while 10% belong to other Christian denominations

Area

299,764 km2

Population

2009 estimate 91,983,000

Currency

Peso (Filipino: piso)

GDP(PPP)

2009 estimate Total $324.692 billion

GDP(nominal)

2009 estimate Total $160.991 billion

Time Zone

PST (UTC+8)