| Area |
300,000 sq km (115,831 sq miles). |
| Population |
78,580,000 (2002). |
| Capital |
Manila- population 1,581,082 (2000). |
| Climate |
Tropical climate tempered by constant sea breezes. There are three distinct seasons: the rainy season (June to September), cool and dry (October to February), and hot and mainly dry (March to May). Evenings are cooler. Typhoons occasionally occur from June to September. |
| Language |
Filipino, based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is widely spoken, Spanish less so. There are over 111 cultural and racial groups, each with its own language or dialect; in 1990 there were 988 recorded languages. |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 84 per cent; the rest are made up mostly of Muslims, other Christian denominations, Buddhist and Taosts. |
| Time |
GMT + 8
|
| Highlights |
Colourful and vibrant 'Jeepneys' are hard to not notice - old jeeps used as public transportation and can be an exciting or unpleasant experience riding in one. For the more flora side of the region, Banaue on the island of Luzon is without a doubt an area is unbelievably beautiful. This is where one would find the amazing Rice Terraces, which were hand-carved some 2,000 years ago cutting into once barren rock - a breathtaking sight. They rise majestically to an altitude of 5000ft (1525m) and encompass an area of 4000sq miles (10,360sq km). When seeking fauna, the Palawan butterfly farm is one of the world's most fascinating places to visit - nature truly speaks for itself.
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| Country Facts |
The Philippines are a collection of 7,107 islands with a total coastline longer than the USA. The islands lie off the southeast coast of Asia between Taiwan and Borneo in the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea. Although the Philippines boasts over 7,000 islands 94% of the land is distributed over the 11 largest islands, thus enabling one to divide the country into four different zones. |