The Republic of the Philippines is located to the west of the Pacific Ocean in the southeastern part of the Asian continent. It consists of seven thousand and one hundred and seven islands. It is therefore an archipelago. The Philippines comprises three main sections of the country: Luzon, Pisaia and Mandanao, Its capital, however, is concentrated in the city of Quezon.
The country is governed by a constitutional republican system of government and celebrates annually on June 12 the anniversary of its independence from Spain in 1898 and dates back more than twenty-four thousand years, according to studies of radioactive carbon.
The history of the Philippines indicates that it has been subject to successive colonial occupations such as the Spanish, British and Japanese occupation, but its islands remained under the influence of British colonialism until the demise of the Second World War. The country derived from its colony English and some influences on Western cultures.
The name is derived from the King of Spain, King Philip II. The name dates back to 1524, when the Spanish explorer Roy Lopez de Villalobos was awarded to the Litta Islands and Samar named Filippinas as Spain's Prince Asturias.
After the Philippine Revolution, the Malcolm Congress decided to establish the official Republic of the Philippines. During the reign of the American colonial authorities, the Philippine islands were named after the Philippines, and the name since that time has been called the Philippines.
Geography The Philippines covers an area of about 300,000 square kilometers, with water accounting for 0.61 percent of the country's total area. Luzon Island is the largest island of the Philippines, covering an area of 105,000 square kilometers. The archipelago and the Asian mainland are separated by up to 800 kilometers, And the area between Taiwan and Borneo.
The border of the Philippines shares Taiwan's waters with the Luzon Strait to the north. The western side also shares water borders with Vietnam by the South China Sea. It is also separated from the south-west by the island of Puneu in the Sulu Sea and bordered by the eastern Philippine Sea.
Country's economy is ranked 48th globally. Economic estimates for 2009 indicate that GDP is US $ 161 billion. The country's exports are mainly based on electronics, semiconductors, transportation equipment, oil, copper, clothing, coconut oil and fruit. The country has a trade partnership with Japan, the United States, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. Its official currency is the Philippine Peso
The economy of the Philippines was at the beginning of its era based on agriculture, but it has become a new industry. The country has more than 38.1 million people. About 32% of the population employs the agricultural sector. The labor force contributes to the industrial sector by only 13.7% , The Philippines is a member of a number of global organizations such as the World Trade Organization, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Group of 77.