The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country in the Western Pacific, comprising more than 7,000 islands. Its capital, Manila, is famous for its waterfront promenade and centuries-old Chinatown, Binondo. Intramuros, a walled city in colonial times, is the heart of Old Manila. It’s home to the baroque 17th-century San Agustin Church as well as Fort Santiago, a storied citadel and military prison.
Languages: Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan
Ethnic Groups: Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other 25.3%
Belief Systems: Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1%
Demographics:
Population: 99.8 million people (World Rank: 12th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 867 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 43rd) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 1.7 %/yr (World Rank: 71st) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 68.7 years (World Rank: 159th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 22.3 years (World Rank: 130th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of The Philippines
Worldatlas.com
The Philippines
World Factbook
The Philippines - Country Profile
U.S. Library of Congress
The Philippines - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
The Philippines
Wikipedia.org
Travel Info for The Philippines
Travelnotes.org
Philippine Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Philippine Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
