Area
300,000 sq kilometres or 115,831 sq miles.
Population
76,498,735 (2000 estimate).
Population
Density
255 per sq kilometre.
Capital
Manila. Population
1,654,761 (2000
estimate).
Geography
Off the southeast coast of Asia between Taiwan and Borneo in the
Pacific Ocean and South China Sea. The Philippines comprise 7,107
islands and islets about 7,108 at low tide, 2,773 of them are named.
The two largest islands, Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the
south account for 65% of the total land area and contains
60% of the country’s population. The Visayas islands
lie between the two.
Government
A Republic since 1987, it gained independence from the USA in 1946.
Head of State and Government: President Maria Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo elected in 2001.
Language
The national language is Filipino which based on Tagalog. English
is widely used in business and legal transactions, more than Spanish.
There are more than 111 cultural and racial groups, each with its
own language or dialect. At last count, there were a total of 988
languages in 1990.
Religion
84% Roman Catholic and the rest is mostly made up
of Muslims, other Christian denominations, Buddhists and Taoists.
Time
GMT + 8 Hours.
Electricity
220 volts
(110 volts in Baguio) AC, 60Hz. Usually 110 volts is available in
most hotels. Flat and round two and three pin plugs are in use.
|
