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Philippines is a country formed by an archipelago with
7100 islands, in the West Pacific Ocean. The islands
stretch from the vicinity of the island of Taiwan, in
the north, to the island of Borneo, in the southwest,
being bathed by the South China Sea in the northwest,
the Celebes Sea in the south, and the Philippine Sea, to
the east. The islands of the Philippines cover a total
area of 300,000 km2. The two main islands
are Lução, to the north, with 104 688 km2 ,
and Mindanau, to the south, with 94 630 km2. The
main cities are Manila, the capital, with a population
of 10 330 100 inhabitants (2004) and a metropolitan area
of 14 083 300, Davao (951 000 inhab.), Cebu (776 600
inhab.) And Zamboanga (163 700 inhab.). There are more
than 30 active volcanoes and some have had very violent
eruptions in recent years. Earthquakes are also
common. Off the east coast of the Philippines, close to
the island of Mindanau, the movement of the terrestrial
crust created one of the deepest underwater trenches,
which goes down to 11 520 meters (Fossa do Mindanau).
Climate
The climate is tropical monsoon, with temperature
variations that are due to the altitude. Between June
and December, there is the risk of typhoons, where winds
can reach 300 km/ h. In fact, in the plains the climate
is hot and humid but in the mountains the temperatures
are considerably lower.
Economy
The Philippine economy is based on agriculture,
manufacturing and services. Even with insufficient
irrigation, more than 1/4 of the land is arable thanks
to the intervention of the Government and the
international community. The most important crops are
rice, coconut, corn, sugar cane, bananas, pineapples,
mango, manioc, tobacco and coffee. The country is rich
in mineral resources, especially in gold, silver, iron,
copper, lead, chromite, nickel and manganese. The
manufacturing industry includes electronic, food, oil
and chemical products, as well as clothing, footwear and
computer peripherals. The Philippines' main trading
partners are the United States of America, Japan,
Singapore and the Netherlands. Environmental indicator:
the value of carbon dioxide emissions,per capita (metric
tons, 1999), is 1.0.
Population
With a population of 89 468 677 inhabitants (2006), the
Philippines has a population density of approximately
292.86 inhab./km2. The birth and death rates
are, respectively, 24.89% and 5.41%. Average life
expectancy is 70.21 years. The value of the Human
Development Index (HDI) is 0.751 and the value of the
Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.748
(2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population
will be 121 982 000 inhabitants. Of the 7100 islands in
the Philippines, only 400 are inhabited. There are
several ethnic groups, but the largest are Tagalog
(29%), Cebuano (23%), Ilokano (9%) and Hiligaynon
(9%). The most prominent religions are Catholic, with
83%, followed by Protestant (9%), Muslim (5%), Buddhist
and others (3%). The official languages are English
and Tagalog (Filipino).
History
In 1898, the Spanish-American War began, which lasted
four months, due to Spanish oppression in Cuba. An
American squadron destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila
Bay. They occupied the territory with the help of the
Filipinos, since they were already in a state of revolt
against the Spanish Government. The US "bought" the
islands from Spain for $ 20 million. Nationalist unrest
started and in 1936 the Community of the Philippines
(semi-independent transition) was formed. In World War
II, the country fought alongside the Americans against
the Japanese and, in 1946, gained independence.
In 1965, Ferdinando Marcos was the first elected
president and, in 1972, he declared martial law. In
1981, the president put an end to martial law but
remained at the head of a dictatorial regime. The
assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino in
1983 was decisive for the revolt that overthrew
Ferdinando Marcos do Poder in 1986. Benigno's widow,
Corazón Aquino, became president of the country that
same year, instituting democracy. During that period,
several factions of the army and the communist
guerrillas attempted five coups d'état. In 1992, the
free elections gave the presidency to Fidel Ramos who
governed until 1998 with the Congress and with two
assemblies: the Senate and the House of
Representatives. After the presidency of Joseph Estrada,
considered not very competent, in 2001 Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo was elected president.
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