Philippines

 

Capital City - Manila
Currency - Philippine Peso
Population - 94,013,200 (2010 estimate)
National Language - Tagalog and English
Type of Government - Multiparty Republic
Leaders - Benigno Aquino III (President); Jejomar Binay (Vice President)
Country's Motto - "Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan, at Makabansa" - Translates to mean "For God, People, Nature and Country"

Location - The Republic of the Philippines is an island country in southeastern Asia located on the western end of the Pacific Ocean.  It is made up of about 7,100 islands of which only 2,770 are named and 1,000 are inhabited.  The islands of Luzon and Mindanao make up more than two-thirds of the country.

Climate - The Philippines has a tropical climate with high temperatures throughout the year.  Typhoons strike the east coast bringing rainfall from April to December.

Religion - About 80% of the country considers themselves Roman Catholic, while 10% remain Christian of other denominations.  It is said that anywhere from 5 to 10% of the country is Muslim, with very small pockets of Buddhist and Baha'i scattered among the population.

Cuisine - Philippine cuisine is a mixture of Malay-Polynesian, Spanish, Chinese and American influences that includes bold, though not necessarily spicy, flavors.  Unlike their other Asian neighbors, Filipinos do not eat with chopsticks but instead use a spoon and fork.

Most Famous Landmark - The Chocolate Hills in Bohol are a famous, if not somewhat mysterious, natural wonder.  With almost 2,000 hills springing up from the landscape, their most breathtaking trait is the fact that they change in color from dark brown to green depending on the season.  Geologists believe that they were formed from marine limestone that emerged atop layers of clay.  How, exactly, they came about is still a mystery.

If You Learn Only One Thing About The Philippines, It Should Be This - People of the Philippines are often a mixture of Spanish and Asian heritage.  As the groups blended, names emerged to describe their origins.  Native born Spaniards were called "Peninsulares," while the Spanish who were born in the Philippines were called "Creoles."  Those who were indigenous to the islands were called "Indios."  And, those of mixed Spanish-Chinese heritage were called "Mestizos."  Luckily for the world, today everyone is just called a "Filipino."