Philippines

Guide Note

The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelagic nation located off the coast of Southeast Asia.

Fast Facts

1. Capital: Manila
2. Population: 88,706,300 (2007 est.)
3. Currency: Piso (PHP)
4. Official Languages: Filipino and English
5. President: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
6. Anthem: Lupang Hinirang

Evidence shows that Palawan was inhabitated by Homo sapiens around 50,000 BC. While the Aboriginal people, referred to as the Negritos, arrived in the Philippines around 30,000 years ago. Ferdinand Magellan reached the islands on March 18, 1521. He would visit the islands of Homonhon, Limasawa, and Cebu, before being killed in the Battle of Mactan led by warriors of Lapu-Lapu. Spanish settlement of the islands would begin in 1565 with Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. He would establish Manila as the capital in 1571. Spanish rule would unite the islands to become the [[Philippines, while bring western civilization to the communities. The Islands would be ruled as territory of New Spain until 1821 when it was ruled directly from Madrid. After several attempts at independence including the Propaganda Movement and involvement in the Spanish-American War which resulted in the ceding of Philippines to the United States, the Country become the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935, which granted them more self-governance. Then after World War II the Philippines was granted it's independence from the United States of America on July 4, 1946 .

Filipinos are descended from Austronesian people from Taiwan over a thousand years ago. The Aboriginal inhabitants consist of the Ati and Aetas, referred to as Negritos. Most of the country is comprised of Malayo-Polynesian ethnic groups including, the Tagalog, Visayans, Ilocoano, Kapamangan, Bicolano, Moro, Pangasinese, Igorot, Lumad Ibanag, Mangyan, Badjao, Ivatan, and Palawan tribes. There is a significant group of other ethnic descendants including the Spanish, British, American, Japanese and Chinese due to the Spanish colonization and Americation occupation after World War II. These intermarried descendants are referred to as Filipino mestizos

There are Twelve major regional languages each with over one million speakers: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Waray-Waray, Tausug, Bikol, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Kinaray-a, Maranao, Maguindanao and Hiligaynon.

English and Spanish were both imposed on the country as official languages at one time in it's history, so the language's use can still be heavily felt within the country.