The Philippines

The nation of the Philippines is an archipelago. That means the nation is a group of islands. More than 7,000 islands make up the nation, but only about 2,000 are occupied. The capitol of the nation is Manila, on the island of Luzon. Manila has over 1.6 million people in the city—the most people per square mile than any other major city in the world. Almost 100 million people live in the Philippines.

During the 16th century, the Spanish landed and made Manila the capital of the Spanish West Indies. Since then, the Filipino people have fought for independence from various nations including Spain, Japan, and the United States. Today, the Filipinos have their own democracy under President Benigno Aquino III.

The Philippines is on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has many natural disasters. Every year, the nation has an average of between six and nine typhoons that hit land. The last major typhoon was Typhoon Yolanda, which was the strongest typhoon ever recorded on land. Many were killed or injured, and hundreds of thousands more people were displaced after high winds and floodwaters destroyed their homes. An average of twenty earthquakes also occur daily, although most are not felt.

Because of their varied past, the Philippines is a mix of East, West, Spanish, and Asian cultures. The two official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English. Their colorful culture makes the Philippines a popular tourist destination.