A Comprehensive Guide to the Philippines
The Republic of the Philippines is a nation of 7,107 islands with a land area of 299,764 square kilometers. The islands are grouped into three major islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines enjoys a tropical climate and is rich in natural resources. The Philippines is a new nation in Southeast Asia, a new republic in an old civilization. In 1521, the Spanish arrived in the Philippines and its civilization took a unique turn. The Spaniards unified the islands as one nation and named it after King Philip II. The Spanish occupation stimulated a new era of nationalistic feeling among the Filipinos, and that eventually led to the Philippine Revolution when, in the late 1890s, the Katipunan, a revolutionary organization, and Rizal, the political reformist father of the nation, advocated independence from Spain. On the 12th of June 1898, Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence. However, the Spanish-American War and the Treaty of Paris transferred the Philippine islands from Spain to the United States. The Philippines was then a colony of the United States. In 1935, the Philippines was granted Commonwealth status with Manuel Quezon as its first president. This was a period of preparation for independence. Unfortunately, the Commonwealth was interrupted in World War II when the Philippines was invaded by Japan in 1941. The war years were harrowing, and Manila became a war center between the Japanese and the Americans. After World War II, the Philippines experienced a vigorous period of nation-building, and on July 4, 1946, it regained its independence. The republic is a representative democracy with the President as both the head of state and the government. Much of the republic’s history has shaped its present-day political and social culture.
Overview of the Philippines
The people of the Philippines are called Filipinos. About 48 percent of the population speaks Tagalog, 12 percent speak Cebuano, and 11 percent speak Ilocano. More than 170 languages and dialects are spoken in the Philippines. Family is, and has always been, an important aspect of Filipino culture. In the precolonial era, people lived in small villages called barangays. These communities were relatively self-sufficient, and people tended to engage in barter. This barangay system still exists in some form today. A strong sense of community can still be seen in many rural areas. The Filipino value of kapwa, or shared self, emphasizes the importance of the group in decision-making and behavior. Although economic and social changes have influenced village culture, tradition is still an important part of life in many rural communities in the Philippines.
The population of the Philippines increased from about 27 million people in 1960 to 76 million in 1997. The population is growing at a rate of 2.36 percent, and it is projected that the population will double by 2040. The Philippines has a high population density: 326 people per square kilometer, which ranks twelfth in the world. The population is unevenly distributed throughout the country, with high population densities in Metro Manila and the surrounding areas, the Cebu-Bohol region, and the central part of Panay.
The Philippines comprises more than 7,000 islands lying between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. With a total land area of about 300,000 square kilometers, the islands of the Philippines are home to a range of geographical environments and interesting plant and animal species. The country has a varied topography. There are broad, fertile, and well-watered valleys; volcanic uplands; and tall mountains, which can pose quite formidable geographic barriers. The Philippines is seismically active and is often struck by earthquakes. In addition, the country may experience approximately twenty typhoons per year.
Geographical Features of the Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a land area of 115,739 square miles, which is slightly larger than the state of Arizona. The islands are divided into three geographical areas: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines has a coastline longer than that of the United States, and about three times greater than that of Canada. That coastline provides many fine beaches and harbors. The country is mountainous, and is criss-crossed by many rivers and streams. The Philippines has a tropical marine climate and has only two seasons; wet and dry. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5°C. Elevation determines the climate, and the islands can be divided into three topographical areas: the lowland area, the upland area, and the mountain zone. The lowland area is about 18,158 square miles in size, and has a 0-300 meter elevation range. This area is heavily populated and includes the Manila metropolitan area. The upland area is about 36,850 square miles and has a 300-2000 meter elevation range. This area is characterized by a more moderate climate and is the source of most Philippine rivers. The mountain zone has an elevation of 3000 meters or more and is about 7000 square miles in area. This area has a cool climate and is often a place of refuge for people, animals and plants that cannot survive in other areas. The highest mountain is Mount Apo in Mindanao at 2,954 meters. The Philippines is seismologically active and is at the approximate center of the most active region of the earth’s crust. Eruptions and earthquakes are caused by the subduction of the oceanic Philippine plate under the continental Eurasian plate. Typhoons are also common in the Philippines.
Cultural Diversity in the Philippines
Colorful and vibrant, the Philippines is a country with a vast range of cultural groups, which is the result of the diversity of its archipelagic nature. It is no wonder that the country’s culture is as varied as its different landscapes. Many may be unaware of this, but the Philippines was already a melting pot of Southeast Asian, Asian, and Pacific cultures even before it was discovered by the Western world. Majority of the people that these early tribes, who are of Malay descent share a common heritage in spite their being widely scattered, for from the 10th to the 16th centuries there evolved a number of organized but warring principalities known as Barangay. Spanish were the first Western colonizers in the 16th century and they virtually tried to rule the country until around the end of 19th century. This 300 year interaction created a significant impact on the country’s society, economy, and culture to the point that the Philippines became known as “the crown jewel of Spain in the Orient.” American came in around 1898 and heavily influenced the country’s governmental institutions, educational system, and industrial establishments. These days, the Philippines is a mixture of different cultures from all around the world. The difference between the Philippines and other Asian countries is much of their cultures really reflect in their daily lives. This makes understanding Filipino culture all the more interesting. For example, foreign observers have often noted that the Philippines is more Westernized compared to other Asian countries, but in fact these people are mistaking globalization for Westernization. Though it is true that Western cultures have greatly affected the Philippine way of life, there still remains a lot of indigenous Filipino traits. These are seen in the Filipino’s unique observances and life ways, colorful festivities, and other practices that are in stark contrast to Western customs and are the very core of the Filipino’s way of life.
