About Philippines

The Philippines is an island nation in South East Asia that is world famous for its beaches, forests, and shopping. To help you learn more about this country we have provided some general information and statistics. Please bear in mind that this material is only meant to serve as a reference.

Official Name: Republic of the Philippines, also known as the Philippines.

Capital: Manila.

Location : The Republic of the Philippines is located in South East Asia. To the country's west is the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea is located to the East. The north and south of the country are located on the Luzon Straight and Celebes Sea respectively. The Philippines has no land borders and is located immediately east of Vietnam.

Size: The country has a total area of 300,000 square kilometers and in relative terms is only slightly larger than the American state of Arizona.

Climate: The average climate of the Philippine archipelago is hot and humid year round. The dry season usually occurs from September to May and the wet season from June to September. The country is classified as having a tropical marine climate.

Population: The country has a total population of approximately 91 million people. There is a population growth rate of approximately 1.764% a year. The country is the 12 th most populated place on earth.

Life expectancy at birth: There is an average life expectancy of 70.51 years at birth in the Philippines.

Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: Less than 0.1% of the total Filipino population suffers from HIV/AIDS. This is equal to approximately 9000 people.

Major illnesses: The Philippines has a number of major infectious illnesses that are endemic to the region. These include; bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, malaria encephalitis, and rabies.

Ethnic Groups: Due to the country's rich and diverse history there are a number of major ethnic groups throughout the Philippines. These include; Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hilgaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, Other 25.3%.

Languages: The official languages of the Philippines are Filipino (based on the Tagalog dialect) and English. In total there are eight major dialects spoken throughout the country, however most visitors will find that there is a high level of spoken English. Due to the country's previous status as Spanish colony there is also a large amount of that language spoken throughout the archipelago.

Religion: The major religion in the Philippines is Catholicism, and this is practiced by approximately 80.9% of the total population. There are also a number of other religions practiced in the country and these include; Islam 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Anglipayan (Anglican) 2%, other Christian Sects 4.5%, other religion 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1%.

Government: The Philippines has a republican government. There is universal suffrage at 18 years of age. The country has a very similar form of government to that of the USA, and this is represented in the close ties that both countries enjoy with each other.

Head of State: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The head of government in the Philippines is also the de facto head of state.

Military: There is compulsory military service in the Philippines at 18 years old. This is also the age at which individuals can enlist in the armed forces. The Filipino armed services have 3 divisions; the Army, Navy, and Philippine Air force

Economy : Despite being affected by the Asian financial crisis of 1998, the Philippines has, in recent years experienced a large amount of foreign investment and has become one of the focal points of the South East Asian economy. Despite the surge that the country's economy has seen in recent years there have been some concerns from international financial analysts regarding the nations large amount of Debt and its ability to service its outside interests. Since the implementation of a VAT (value added tax) scheme in 2005 however, the government has taken steps to widen its income base and look for further ways of creating revenue.

GDP: The Philippines has a GDP purchasing power parity of US$449.8 billion and an official exchange rate of US$116.9 billion. The country sees an annual GDP growth rate of approximately 5.4%.

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