Philippines | History, Capital, Language, Flag, Facts & Geography of Philippines

History of Philippines:

The Negritos were the first inhabitants of the Philippines. Thousands of years ago, they came on the islands. The island was populated by tribal groups headed by chieftains known as datus when the Polynesians reached the island. Chinese and Arab traders arrived in the Philippines later in its history.

Ferdinand Magellan from Portugal arrived in 1521 and was the first European to do so. He claimed the territory for Spain but was assassinated on the island while attempting to settle a dispute between two indigenous groups. Over the ensuing years, Spain would annex the nation and dominate until the United States defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Emilio Aguinaldo, a revolutionary leader, proclaimed the Philippines’ independence from Spain in the same year.

Following the Spanish-American War and the Treaty of Paris, the Philippines came under the formal control of the United States. The United States and the Philippines briefly went to war, but it quickly ended. Under President Manuel Quezon, the US established the Philippines as a self-governing state in 1935. Japan occupied the Philippines during World War II. The Japanese were expelled with the aid of American soldiers. The nation attained complete independence in 1946.

Information about Philippines:

Flag of Philippines:

Philippines Economy Key Industries:

Philippines Major Industries: electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining, fishing

Philippines Agricultural Products: sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassavas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish

Philippines Natural Resources: timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper

Philippines Major Exports: electronic equipment, machinery and transport equipment, garments, optical instruments, coconut products, fruits and nuts, copper products, chemicals

Philippines Major Imports:raw materials, machinery and equipment, fuels, vehicles and vehicle parts, plastic, chemicals, grains

The Geography of Philippines:

Total Size of Philippines: 300,000 km² (source: wikipedia)

Geographical Low Point of Philippines: Philippine Sea 0 m

Geographical High Point of Philippines: Mount Apo 2,954 m

Climate of Philippines: Tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

General Terrain of Philippines: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlandslat

World Region or Continent of Philippines:  Southeast Asia

Geographical Coordinates: 13 00 N, 122 00 E

The People of  Philippines & Culture

Philippines Government Type: republic

Philippines Nationality: Philippine eagle

Philippines National Holiday: Independence Day, 12 June (1898); note – 12 June 1898 was date of declaration of independence from Spain; 4 July 1946 was date of independence from US

Philippines Independence: 12 June 1898 (from Spain)

Philippines National Symbol: Philippine eagle

Philippines National Anthem or Song: Lupang Hinirang (Chosen Land)

Philippines Languages Spoken: two official languages – Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English; eight major dialects – Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

Philippines Religions: Roman Catholic 80.9%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, Muslim 5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

Interesting Facts about Philippines:

The country is officially known as the Republic of the Philippines. The country’s name comes from a Spanish explorer named Ruy Lopez de Villalobos. It was given the name “Philippines” in homage to King Philip II of Spain.

There are 7,107 islands in the archipelago of the Philippines. Mindano, Visayas, and Luzon are the three main island geopolitical groups. The Philippines are made up of three island groups, 17 regions, 80 provinces, 138 cities, and 1,496 municipalities.

Philippines’ population is estimated to be 100,000,000.

In 2009, the nation spent 2.7% of GDP on education.

More over 80% of people are catholic, compared to 5% who are Muslim.

The country is the primary source of international nurses in the world.

At least 175 languages are spoken in the Philippines, and at least 171 of these are classified as “living” languages. With more than 52 million speakers, it is the sixth most populous English-speaking nation in the world, so communication shouldn’t be a problem.

On the Camiguin island in the Philippines, there are more volcanoes than populated areas.

The Philippines is home to the longest underground river in the world. 75 kilometers north of Puerto Princesa is where you can find the world’s longest underground river. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River’s status as a natural wonder was cemented by UNESCO’s selection of it as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2011.

The Philippines is the second-largest island country in the world.

The Philippines is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries. There is a considerable amount of biodiversity in the Philippines, one of the seventeen countries deemed to be megadiverse. This suggests that there are at least 5,000 native plant species there.

In the Philippines, there is a political party for LGBT people. In the Philippines, the first LGBT political party, known as Ang Ladlad, was founded in 2003.

In the Philippines, the number “13” is considered unlucky and is rarely used.

The Philippines is home to the longest snake in the world. The reticulated python is the world’s longest snake. It can be found in the jungles of the Philippines as well as in other Asian countries like Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, to name a few.

While Pacquiao competes, there is no street crime in Manila. Manny Pacquiao is affectionately referred to as PacMan by Filipinos, and he is an absolute national treasure. According to local media, the professional boxer fights to make the streets safer and has a unique way of bringing people together.

San Miguel is not a Spanish beer; it is a Filipino one. Given the beer’s name, San Miguel, you might be excused for assuming it is Spanish. However, this famous beer comes from the Philippines.

The Philippines is the second-largest producer and exporter of coconuts in the world.

The Philippines is where erythromycin originated.

In the Philippines, Christmas is the holiday that lasts the longest.

For journalists, the Philippines is a perilous place.

Southeast Asia is home to the archipelago known as the Philippines. With multiple nations in the area, it has marine borders. The following nations share maritime boundaries with the Philippines: Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Palau, and Vietnam.