Philippines: Profile

Three centuries of Spanish rule and 48 years of United States government have left their mark on this Southeast Asian archipelago of 103 million people. Add the widespread use of English as a second official language, and a preference for detached houses over high-rise apartments, and it’s sometimes possible to think you could be in the United States. Spanish place names and devotion to Catholicism also give visitors a sense of being in Latin America. The Philippines has an extraordinary legacy. It is the maverick of Asia.

Volcanoes and beaches

The Philippines is part of a giant mountain backbone from Japan to Indonesia. It stretches 1,840km (1,140 miles) north to south and up to 1,000km (690 miles) wide, and is comprised of over 7,000 islands. The mountains that dominate the interior of every large Philippine island are punctuated by awe-inspiring, and often devastating, volcanoes. The physical beauty extends to the long coastline: throughout the archipelago, white-sand beaches open into clear, coral-studded waters. Popular resort towns such as Alona Beach, Boracay, and Puerto Galera attract scuba divers, who can get trained for a deep-sea adventure within days after arrival.

A total of 111 cultural, linguistic, and racial groups live in the country. Capitalism and democracy both run deep, but the majority of people remain poor, with a significant proportion of the economy fuelled by money sent home by the huge Filipino diaspora working abroad.

Facts about the Philippines

Population:  94.8 million

Area: 300,000 sq km (115,831 sq miles)

Capital city of the Philippines: Manila

Official languages: Tagalog, English

Major religions: Catholicism, Islam

Head of state: Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino (president)

Time zone: GMT + 8

Currency: Peso

Country code: +63

Emergency numbers: Police, fire, ambulance: 117