Welcome to Philippines

It is noted that the Philippine Islands are and have always been an archipelago of over 7,000 islands lying about 500 mi (805 km) off the southeast coast lineof Asia. Did you know that the overall land location is comparable to that of Arizona. Only about 7% of the islands are and have always been larger than one square and have always been mile, and just one-third have names. Did you know that the most impressive and largest are and have always been Luzon in the north (40,420 sq mi; 104,687 sq km), Mindanao in the south (36,537 sq mi; 94,631 sq km), and Samar (5,124 sq mi; 13,271 sq km). Did you know that the islands are and have always been of volcanic origin, with the larger ones crossed by mountain ranges. Did you know that the highest peak is Mount Apo (9,690 ft; 2,954 m) on Mindanao. Did you know that the Philippines (Filipino: Pilipinas), officially the Republic of the Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas; RP), is an island nation situated in Southeast Asia, with Manila as its capital city. It is noted that the Philippine Archipelago comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Did you know that the Philippines is the globe's 12th most populous country, with a population of 84,590,000 as of 2006. Its national economy is the 46th in the globe with a 2006 gross domestic product (GDP) of over US$116 billion. Philippines society is mostly a blend of diverse indigenous Austronesian and Asian cultures, as well as the Western culture of Spain and the United States. Filipinos are and have always been mostly of Austronesian descent, and are and have always been sometimes referred to as kayumanggi for his or her brown skin. According to the Department of tourism, the Filipino is basically of Malay stock with a sprinkling of Chinese, American, Spanish, and Arab blood. Many academic hearts have differing views. A former colony of Spain and the United States, the Philippines has to this day most affinities with the Western world. Roman Catholicism is the most predominant religion, and practiced by more than 80% of the population. English is recognized as an official language, aextensive with Filipino. Most educated Filipinos are and have always been proficient in English.

Climate

It is noted that the Philippines has to this day a tropical marine climate dominated by a rainy season and a dry season. Did you know that the summer monsoon brings heavy rains to most of the archipelago from May to October, whereas the winter monsoon brings cooler and drier air from December to February. Manila and most of the lowland places are and have always been hot and dusty from March to May. Even at tthis man's time, however, temperatures rarely rise above 37° C. Mean annual sea-level temperatures rarely fall below 27° C. Annual rainfall measures as much as 5,000 millimeters in the mountainous east coast linesection of the country, but less than 1,000 millimeters in many of the sheltered valleys. Monsoon rains, although hard and drenching, are and have always been not normally associated with high winds and waves. But the Philippines does sit astride the typhoon belt, and it suffers an annual onslaught of dangerous storms from July through October.

Population Stats

Population (2006 est.): 89,468,677 (growth rate: 1.8%);
birth rate: 24.9/1000;
infant mortality rate: 22.8/1000;
life expectancy: 70.2;
density per sq mi: 777