Philippines

Find a country's flag, map or national anthem here. Click on a letter to find the country:

Philippines

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republika Ñg Pilipinas/Republic of the Philippines Area 300,000 sq km/115,830 sq mi Capital Manila (on Luzon island) (and chief port) Language Filipino, English (both official), Spanish, Cebuano, Ilocano, more than 70 other indigenous languages Religion Christian 94%, mainly Roman Catholic (84%), Protestant; Muslim 4%, local religions Time difference GMT +8 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 12 June, 4 July, 1, 30 November, 25, 30–31 December; variable: Good Friday, Holy Thursday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Quezon City, Davao, Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo City Major ports Cebu, Davao (on Mindanao), Iloilo City, Zamboanga (on Mindanao) Physical features comprises over 7,000 islands; volcanic mountain ranges traverse main chain north–south; 50% still forested. The largest islands are Luzon 108,172 sq km/41,754 sq mi and Mindanao 94,227 sq km/36,372 sq mi; others include Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, and the Sulu group; Pinatubo volcano (1,759 m/5,770 ft); Mindanao has active volcano Apo (2,954 m/9,690 ft) and mountainous rainforest Airports 10 international airports, 92 national and 103 private airports; total passengers carried: 6.5 million (2002 est) Railways total length: 897 km/577 mi (of which 492 km/306 mi in operation); total passenger journeys: 3.8 million (1997) Roads total road network: 200,036 km/124,297 mi, of which 9.9% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 33.7 per 1,000 people (2002 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from 2001 Political system liberal democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 73 provinces and the National Capital Region Political parties Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Democratic Filipino Struggle Party; LDP–DFSP), centrist, liberal-democrat coalition; Lakas ng Edsa (National Union of Christian Democrats; LNE–NUCD), centrist; Liberal Party, centrist; Nationalist Party (Nacionalista), right wing; New Society Movement (NSM; Kilusan Bagong Lipunan), conservative, pro-Marcos; National Democratic Front, left-wing umbrella grouping, including the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP); Mindanao Alliance, island-based decentralist body Death penalty abolished in 2006 Armed forces 106,000; plus reserve forces of 131,000 and paramilitary forces of 40,500 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 0.8 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 3.1 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 1.4 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency peso GDP (US$) 98.3 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 108.3 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 5,300 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 6.7% (2006 est) Unemployment 11% (2004 est) Labour force 37% agriculture, 14.9% industry, 48.1% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 60.7 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners USA, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, China South Korea, Hong Kong Resources copper ore, gold, silver, chromium, nickel, coal, crude petroleum, natural gas, forests Industries food processing, petroleum refining, textiles, chemical products, pharmaceuticals, electrical machinery (mainly telecommunications equipment), metals and metal products, tourism Exports electronic products, semiconductors, machinery and transport equipment, garments, agricultural products (particularly fruit and seafood), woodcraft and furniture, lumber, chemicals, coconut oil. Principal market: USA 18.1% (2005) Imports semi-processed raw materials, machinery and transport equipment, telecommunications equipment and electrical machinery, mineral fuels, basic manufactures, chemicals, power generation equipment and specialized machines. Principal source: USA 19.4% (2005) Arable land 19% (2006 est) Agricultural products rice, maize, cassava, coconuts, sugar cane, bananas, pineapples; livestock (chiefly pigs, buffaloes, goats, and poultry) and fisheries


POPULATION

Population 84,476,700 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.6% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 282 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 63 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 35%, 15–59 59%, 60+ 6% (2005 est) Ethnic groups comprises more than 50 ethnic communities, although 95% of the population is designated ‘Filipino’, an Indo-Polynesian ethnic grouping Life expectancy 70 (men); 74 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 34 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 7 Literacy rate 93% (men); 93% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 11.6 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.1 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) <0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <1,000 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 90 (urban); 77 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 4.2 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 39.5 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 161 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 192 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 4.5 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 6.4 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

14th century Traders from Malay peninsula introduced Islam and created Muslim principalities of Manila and Jolo. 1521 Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the islands, but was killed in battle with islanders. 1536 Philippines named after Charles V's son (later Philip II of Spain) by Spanish navigator Ruy López de Villalobos. 1565 Philippines conquered by Spanish army led by Miguel López de Lagazpi. 1571 Manila was made capital of the colony, which was part of the Viceroyalty of Mexico. 17th century Spanish missionaries converted much of the lowland population to Roman Catholicism. 1762–63 British occupied Manila. 1834 End of Spanish monopoly on trade; British and American merchants bought sugar and tobacco. 1896–97 Emilio Aguinaldo led a revolt against Spanish rule. 1898 Spanish–American War: US navy destroyed Spanish fleet in Manila Bay; Aguinaldo declared independence, but Spain ceded Philippines to USA. 1898–1901 Nationalist uprising suppressed by US troops; 200,000 Filipinos killed. 1907 Americans set up elected legislative assembly. 1916 Bicameral legislature introduced based on the US model. 1935 Philippines gained internal self-government with Manuel Quezon as president. 1942–45 Occupied by Japan. 1946 Philippines achieved independence from USA under President Manuel Roxas; USA retained military bases and supplied economic aid. 1957–61 ‘Filipino First’ policy introduced by President Carlos García to reduce economic power of Americans and Chinese; official corruption increased. 1972 President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law and ended the freedom of the press; economic development financed by foreign loans, of which large sums were diverted by Marcos for personal use. 1981 Martial law officially ended but Marcos retained sweeping emergency powers, ostensibly needed to combat long-running Muslim and communist insurgencies. 1983 Opposition leader Benigno Aquino murdered at Manila airport while surrounded by government troops. 1986 Corazon Aquino (widow of Benigno Aquino) used ‘people's power’ to force Marcos to flee the country. 1987 ‘Freedom constitution’ adopted; Aquino's People's Power won congressional elections. 1989 state of emergency declared after sixth coup attempt suppressed with US aid. 1991 Philippine senate called for withdrawal of US forces; US renewal of Subic Bay naval base lease rejected. 1992 Fidel Ramos elected to succeed Aquino; ‘Rainbow Coalition’ government formed. 1995 Imelda Marcos (the widow of Ferdinand Marcos) elected to House of Representatives while on bail from prison on charge of corruption. 1996 LDP withdrew from the LDP–DFSP coalition. A peace agreement signed between government and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) after 25 years of civil unrest on Mindanao. 1997 Preliminary peace talks took place between government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), fighting for independent Muslim state on Mindanao. Supreme Court rejected proposal to allow second presidential term. 1998 Joseph Estrada inaugurated as president and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as vice-president. Imelda Marcos acquitted of corruption charges. Dispute with China over mineral-rich Spratly Islands resolved with agreement on joint use of resources. 2000 Worst fighting since 1996 erupted between government troops and MILF. In April, another Islamic separatist group, Abu Sayyaf, took 21 foreign hostages from holiday resorts in Malaysia; hostages gradually released, last few in September when Libya paid US$4 million/£2.8 million to captors. Further hostages taken throughout year; some rescued by Philippine Army. President Estrada was impeached on corruption charges. 2001 Estrada's trial suspended after senators blocked presentation of vital evidence; mass public demonstrations followed and Estrada left office. Former vice-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who led call for Estrada's impeachment, became president. MILF declared ceasefire, saying it was ready to begin talks with the government. Estrada charged with embezzling more than $80 million while in office; he was arrested. 2002 Joint US-Filipino military exercises took place near stronghold of Abu Sayyaf group, which USA claimed had links to Osama Bin Laden. Series of bomb attacks hit country during October; all blamed on Islamic militants. 2003 Ceasefire between government and MILF broke down. Rebel attack on Mindanao killed 30 people; planned talks called off. Government signed another ceasefire with MILF in July, ahead of planned talks in Malaysia. Army mutiny, involving 300 soldiers, ended peacefully following negotiations; Arroyo declared state of rebellion. 2004 Gloria Arroyo won presidential elections. Bowing to demands of kidnappers of Filipino lorry driver (who was then freed), country withdrew its peacekeepers from Iraq. Powerful storms and a typhoon led to flooding and mudslides; hundreds killed. 2005 2003 ceasefire between government and MILF broken by heavy fighting. Continuing talks in Malaysia led to breakthrough on touchy subject of ancestral land. Arroyo survived pressure to resign over alleged vote-rigging and opposition attempt to impeach her. Clashes between troops and Abu Sayyaf rebels on Jolo ended with many killed. 2006 Mudslide on island of Leyte killed more than 1,000. Army claimed it had foiled attempted coup; President Arroyo declared week-long state of emergency. Death penalty, abandoned in 1987, then reintroduced, abolished. Arroyo survived another attempt by opposition to have her impeached. 2007 Body of Abu Sayyaf leader Khaddafy Janjalani, said to have been killed by the army in 2006, confirmed found. Military figures named in government report as behind killings of hundreds of chiefly left-wing activists since 2001. Following beheading of seven Christian hostages on Jolo, army stepped up offensive on Abu Sayyaf; 26 soldiers killed in fighting with separatists on Jolo. More than 120 died in violence in three months' campaigning leading up to parliamentary and local elections.


© Research Machines plc 2008. All rights reserved. Helicon Publishing is a division of Research Machines plc.