The Philippines Republic of the Philippines , is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia . In the western Pacific Ocean , it consists of 7,641 islands , with a total area of 300,000 square kilometers, which are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon , Visayas , and Mindanao . The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the south. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. It is the world's twelfth-most-populous country , with diverse ethnicities and cultures . Manila is the country's capital , and its most populated city is Quezon City . Both are within Metro Manila .
Negritos , the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, were followed by waves of Austronesian peoples . The adoption of animism , Hinduism with Buddhist influence, and Islam established island-kingdoms ruled by datus , rajas , and sultans . Extensive overseas trade with neighbors such as the late Tang or Song empire brought Chinese people to the archipelago as well, which would also gradually settle in and intermix over the centuries. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan , a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Castile , marked the beginning of Spanish colonization . In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos Las Islas Filipinas King Philip II of Castile . Spanish colonization via New Spain , beginning in 1565, led to the Philippines becoming ruled by the Crown of Castile, as part of the Spanish Empire , for more than 300 years. Catholic Christianity became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade . Hispanic immigrants from Latin America and Iberia would also selectively colonize. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896, and became entwined with the 1898 Spanish–American War . Spain ceded the territory to the United States, and Filipino revolutionaries declared the First Philippine Republic . The ensuing Philippine–American War ended with the United States controlling the territory until the Japanese invasion of the islands during World War II . After the United States retook the Philippines from the Japanese , the Philippines became independent in 1946. The country has had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship in a nonviolent revolution .
The Philippines is an emerging market and a newly industrialized country , whose economy is transitioning from being agricultural to service- and manufacturing-centered. It is a founding member of the United Nations , the World Trade Organization , ASEAN , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and the East Asia Summit ; it is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Its location as an island country on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator makes it prone to earthquakes and typhoons . The Philippines has a variety of natural resources and a globally-significant level of biodiversity . (Full article...
A portion of the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary
The
Olango Island Group is a group of islands found in the
Central Visayas region of the
Philippines . It comprises Olango island and 6 satellite islets namely: Caubian, Camungi, Caohagan, Gilutongan,
Nalusuan , Pangan-an, and Sulpa. The island group has a total land area of approximately 1,030 hectares (2,500 acres). It is divided under the jurisdiction of the city of
Lapu-Lapu and the municipality of
Cordova ,
Cebu . It lies 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) east of
Mactan and is a major tourist destination in Cebu. It is known for its wildlife sanctuary. The entire area is the first declared
Ramsar Wetland Site in the Philippines, as recognized in 1994. (
Full article... )
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The following are images from various Philippines-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 2 Manny Pacquiao , the only
8-division world boxing champion in history. (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 4 Pineapple fiber is used to create traditional Philippine garments. (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 7 An
Itneg shaman offering pigs to
anito spirits, 1922 (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 8 Villa Escudero exhibit depicting 19th century Filipino family in traditional attire (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 9 Carabao is a major symbol of Filipinos hard labor. And is known to be the "Filipino farmer's bestfriend". (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 11 Bahay na bato , a traditional Filipino house (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 12 Sungka , a traditional Filipino game. (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 15 Parol (Christmas lanterns) being sold during the Christmas season (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 16 A grandmaster of
Arnis . (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 17 Filipina in traditional attire (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 18 Old Senate Hall with
Estilo Tampinco style of carving and ornamentation (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 20 Mila del Sol starred in one of the earliest Filipino movies,
Giliw Ko (1939), along with
Fernando Poe Sr. (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 23 Dominant ethnic groups by province. (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 26 Kalesa , a traditional Philippine urban transportation, in front of
Manila Cathedral entrance (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 29 Tortoise -shell and silver Salakot (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 30 Filipino traditional dance at a festival (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 32 A performer depicting a
babaylan (shaman) (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 33 The
University of Santo Tomas , located in
Manila , was established in 1611. (from
Culture of the Philippines )
Image 35 The Kutkut art from Samar (from
Culture of the Philippines )
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