The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. The 20-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts, which prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992 and his administration was marked by greater stability and progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998, but was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. The Philippine Government faces threats from three terrorist groups on the US Government's Foreign Terrorist Organization list, but in 2006 and 2007 scored some major successes in capturing or killing key wanted terrorists. Decades of Muslim insurgency in the southern Philippines have led to a peace accord with one group and on-again/off-again peace talks with another.

Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam

13 00 N, 122 00 E

Southeast Asia

slightly larger than Arizona

0 km

36,289 km

tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands

timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper

15,500 sq km (2003)

479 cu km (1999)

astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis

uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds

the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait

99,900,177 (July 2010 est.)

1.931% (2010 est.)

25.68 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

5.06 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

3.23 children born/woman (2010 est.)

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

8,300 (2007 est.)

fewer than 200 (2007 est.)

Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other 25.3% (2000 census)

Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

2.5% of GDP (2005)

republic

80 provinces and 120 chartered cities

12 June 1898 (independence proclaimed from Spain); 4 July 1946 (from the US)

Independence Day, 12 June (1898); note - 12 June 1898 was date of declaration of independence from Spain; 4 July 1946 was date of independence from US

2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987

based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

18 years of age; universal

bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years; members elected at large by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Nga Kinatawan (as a result of May 2007 election it has 269 seats including 218 members representing districts and 51 sectoral party-list members representing special minorities elected on the basis of 1 seat for every 2% of the total vote but limited to 3 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note - the constitution limits the House of Representatives to 250 members; the number of members allowed was increased, however, through legislation when in April 2009 the Philippine Supreme Court ruled that additional party members could sit in the House of Representatives if they received the required number of votes)

Supreme Court (15 justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and serve until 70 years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan (special court for hearing corruption cases of government officials)

Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) or LDP [Edgardo ANGARA]; Lakas ng EDSA-Christian Muslim Democrats or Lakas-CMD [Prospero NOGRALES]; Lakas-Kampi-CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) [Gilberto TEODORO]; Liberal Party or LP [Manuel ROXAS]; Nacionalista Party or NP [Manuel VILLAR]; Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC [Frisco SAN JUAN]; PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL]; People's Reform Party [Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO]; Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (Force of the Philippine Masses) or PMP [Joseph ESTRADA]; United Opposition or UNO [Jejomar BINAY]

ABONO [Robert ESTRELLA]; AKBAYAN [Anna Theresia BARAQUIEL]; An Waray [Florencio NOEL]; Anak Mindanao [Mujiv HATAMIN]; ANAKPAWIS [Rafael MARIANO]; ARC [Narciso SANTIAGO III]; Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) [Ernesto PABLO and Edgar VALDEZ]; A TEACHER [Mariano PIAMONTE]; Bayan Muna [Satur OCAMPO and Teodoro CASINO, Jr.]; Black and White Movement [Vicente ROMANO]; BUHAY [Rene VELARDE, Carissa COSCOLLUELLA, and William TIENG]; BUTIL [Leonila CHAVEZ]; CIBAC [Emmanuel Joel VILLANUEVA]; COOP-NATCO [Jose PING-AY]; GABRIELA [Liza MAZA and Luzviminda ILAGAN]; KABATAAN [Raymon PALATINO]; Kilosbayan [Jovito SALONGA]; YACAP [Carol LOPEZ]

ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, CD, CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red; a white equilateral triangle is based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays; each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star; blue stands for peace and justice, red symbolizes courage, the white equal-sided triangle represents equality; the rays recall the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain, while the stars represent the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao; the design of the flag dates to 1897

Philippine GDP grew barely 1% in 2009 but the economy weathered the 2008-09 global recession better than its regional peers due to minimal exposure to securities issued by troubled global financial institutions; lower dependence on exports; relatively resilient domestic consumption, supported by large remittances from four-to five-million overseas Filipino workers; and a growing business process outsourcing industry. Economic growth in the Philippines has averaged 4.5% per year since 2001, when President MACAPAGAL-ARROYO took office. Despite this growth, poverty worsened during the term of MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, because of a high population growth rate and inequitable distribution of income. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO averted a fiscal crisis by pushing for new revenue measures and, until recently, tightening expenditures to address the government's yawning budget deficit and to reduce high debt and debt service ratios. But the government abandoned its 2008 balanced-budget goal in order to help the economy weather the global financial and economic storm. The economy faces several long term challenges. The Philippines must maintain the reform momentum in order to catch up with regional competitors, boost trade, alleviate poverty, and improve employment opportunities and infrastructure. Inadequate tax revenues could limit the government's ability to address these issues.

$324.8 billion (2009 est.)

$321.9 billion (2008 est.)

$310.2 billion (2007 est.)

$160.6 billion (2009 est.)

0.9% (2009 est.)

3.8% (2008 est.)

7.1% (2007 est.)

$3,300 (2009 est.)

$3,400 (2008 est.)

$3,300 (2007 est.)

37.89 million (2009 est.)

7.5% (2009 est.)

7.4% (2008 est.)

32.9% (2006 est.)

45.8 (2006)

46.6 (2003)

14.3% of GDP (2009 est.)

58.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

56.9% of GDP (2008 est.)

3.2% (2009 est.)

9.3% (2008 est.)

3.5% (31 December 2009)

6% (31 December 2008)

6.89% (31 December 2009)

8.75% (31 December 2008)

$24.32 billion (30 November 2009)

$22.53 billion (31 December 2008)

$55.71 billion (30 November 2009)

$65.85 billion (31 December 2007)

$81.96 billion (30 November 2009)

$77.68 billion (31 December 2008)

$130.5 billion (31 December 2009)

$85.63 billion (31 December 2008)

$172.5 billion (31 December 2007)

sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassavas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish

electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining, fishing

-2% (2009 est.)

56.57 billion kWh (2007 est.)

48.96 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

25,120 bbl/day (2008)

313,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

36,720 bbl/day (2007 est.)

342,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)

138.5 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

2.94 billion cu m (2008 est.)

2.94 billion cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

98.54 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

$8.16 billion (2009 est.)

$3.897 billion (2008)

$37.2 billion (2009 est.)

$48.2 billion (2008 est.)

semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, fruits

US 17.6%, Japan 16.2%, Netherlands 9.8%, Hong Kong 8.6%, China 7.7%, Germany 6.5%, Singapore 6.2%, South Korea 4.8% (2009 est.)

$45.8 billion (2009 est.)

$61.14 billion (2008)

electronic products, mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, iron and steel, textile fabrics, grains, chemicals, plastic

Japan 12.5%, US 12%, China 8.8%, Singapore 8.7%, South Korea 7.9%, Taiwan 7.1%, Thailand 5.7% (2009 est.)

$44.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$37.55 billion (31 December 2008)

$53.14 billion (30 September 2009 est.)

$66.27 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$22.9 billion (31 October 2009 est.)

$216.1 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$5.99 billion (31 September 2009 est.)

$5.74 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Philippine pesos (PHP) per US dollar - 47.8 (2009), 44.439 (2008), 46.148 (2007), 51.246 (2006), 55.086 (2005)

3.905 million (2008)

68.102 million (2008)

AM 383, FM 659, shortwave 4 (2008)

297 (plus 873 CATV networks) (2008)

.ph

283,607 (2009)

5.618 million (2008)

254 (2009)

2 (2009)

oil 107 km; refined products 112 km (2009)

3,219 km (limited to vessels with draft less than 1.5 m) (2008)

Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Liman, Manila, Nasipit Harbor

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps and Coast Guard), Air Force (2010)

18-25 years of age (officers 21-29) for compulsory and voluntary military service; applicants must be single male or female Philippine citizens (2007)

0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Philippines claims sovereignty over Scarborough Reef (also claimed by China together with Taiwan) and over certain of the Spratly Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalf; maritime delimitation negotiations continue with Palau

domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing problem in recent years despite government crackdowns; major consumer of amphetamines; longstanding marijuana producer mainly in rural areas where Manila's control is limited