Philippines

The Philippines is an island country in Southeast Asia, formed by about 7,641 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. The South China Sea lies to its west, the Philippine Sea to its east and the Celebes Sea to its south.

Manila is the capital, and Filipino and English are the official languages. Remains from the Tabon Caves of Palawan show people on the islands about 47,000 years ago, and Austronesians arrived from Taiwan around 2200 BC. The Laguna Copperplate Inscription of 900 AD, written in Old Malay, is the oldest surviving written record. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan began Spanish contact, and Ruy López de Villalobos named them after the future Philip II in 1542. Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from New Spain in 1565, and Manila galleons later linked the city with the Americas.

José Rizal wrote the novels Noli Me Tángere and El filibusterismo. The revolution of 1896 led to a declaration of independence from Spain on 12 June 1898, after which the islands passed to the United States. The Commonwealth of the Philippines prepared self-rule, and the Treaty of Manila recognized full independence on 4 July 1946. The state is a constitutional republic with a presidential system. Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao are its three main island groups, and Mount Apo on Mindanao reaches 2,954 m (9,692 ft).

Coconuts, bananas, pineapples and abaca fiber are major farm products, and mines yield nickel, copper and gold. Business process outsourcing is a large employer, and money sent home by Filipinos working abroad as seamen and nurses is a large part of the economy. Tubbataha Reef, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River and four baroque churches are World Heritage Sites, and Boracay and Vigan attract visitors. Adobo is the unofficial national dish, jeepneys fill the streets, basketball is the main sport, and Manny Pacquiao won fame in boxing.