philippines

This article is about the country in Southeast Asia. For the town in the Netherlands, see Philippine (Netherlands).
Republika ng Pilipinas
Republic of the Philippines


Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: Maka-Diyos, Makatao, Makakalikasan, at Makabansa(English: "For God, People, Nature and Country")
Anthem: Lupang Hinirang"Chosen Land"

Capital
Manila14°35′N, 121°0′E
Largest city
Quezon City
Official languages
Filipino and English
Recognised regional languages
Bikol, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog, Waray-Waray[1]
Demonym
Filipino, Pinoy
Government
Unitary presidential constitutional republic
-
President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
-
Vice President
Noli de Castro
Independence
from Spainfrom United States
-
Established
March 16, 1521
-
Declared
June 12, 1898
-
Self-government
March 24, 1934
-
Independence recognized
July 4, 1946
-
Current constitution
February 2, 1987
Area
-
Total
300,000 km² [2](72nd)115,831 sq mi
-
Water (%)
0.61%[2]
Population
-
2000 estimate
88.701 million[3] (12th)
-
2000 census
76,498,735 [4]
-
Density
290/km² (32nd)112/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2006 estimate
-
Total
$466.632 billion[3] (25th)
-
Per capita
$5,365.287[3] (99th)
GDP (nominal)
2006 estimate
-
Total
$117.562 billion[3] (47th)
-
Per capita
$1,351.718[3] (117th)
Gini (2003)
44.5[2] (medium)
HDI (2007/2008)
▲ 0.771[5] (medium) (90th)
Currency
Peso (Filipino: piso ) (PHP)
Time zone
PST (UTC+8)
Internet TLD
.ph
Calling code
+63
1
Spanish and Arabic are promoted on a voluntary and optional basis.
2
Rankings above were taken from associated Wikipedia pages as of December, 2007, and may be based on data or data sources other than those appearing here.

Philippines Portal
The Philippines (Filipino: Pilipinas), officially the Republic of the Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas; RP), is an archipelagic nation located in Southeast Asia, with Manila as its capital city. The Philippine archipelago comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, bordering countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and the Republic of China, although it is the only Southeast Asian country to share no land borders with its neighbors. The Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country with a population approaching 87 million people.[3] Its national economy is the 47th largest in the world with a 2006 gross domestic product (GDP) of over US$117.562 billion.[3] There are more than 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, about 11% of the total population of the Philippines.
The Philippines was formerly a Spanish then an American colony. The Philippine Revolution was an attempt to gain independence from Spain, and later from the U.S. in the Philippine-American War. The Philippines ultimately gained its independence from the United States on July 4, 1946 after the Pacific War via the Treaty of Manila. The Philippines then became a fledging democracy until the authoritarian rule of Ferdinand Marcos led to his overthrow in the People Power Revolution of 1986. Political upheavals alternated with peaceful transition of power on the period that followed.[2]
Today, the Philippines has many affinities with the Western world, derived mainly from the cultures of Spain, Latin America, and the United States. Roman Catholicism became the predominant religion, although pre-Hispanic indigenous religious practices and Islam still exist.[6] The two official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English.[2]