Wikijunior:Asia/Philippines

The Philippines (officially the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas)) is a country located in Southeast Asia. The country is made up of 7,107 islands and is divided into three island groups namely Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Philippine's current president is Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and popularly known as Bongbong in his country. The capital of the Philippines is Manila. The currency is Philippine peso.

The Philippines used to be controlled by Spain for about 300 years. Spain started to take control of the Philippines when explorer Ferdinand Magellan first stepped foot on the islands for Spain in 1521. In the late 19th century, Filipinos fought the Spanish for the independence of the Philippines.

Emilio Aguinaldo, who is recognized as the first president of the Philippines, declared the independence of the Philippines on June 12, 1898. However, the United States ignored this and took over control over the islands after winning a war with Spain. Japan took control over the Philippines during the World War II. After the WWII, the Philippines were given independence by the Americans in July 4, 1946.

Where is the Philippines?
The Philippines is located in Southeast Asia. Taiwan is found north of the country and Malaysia and Indonesia to the south. China, Brunei, Vietnam and Palau are other neighboring countries. The Pacific Ocean is found east of the Philippines while the South China Sea can be found west of the country.

How many people live in the Philippines?
About 100 million people live in the Philippines and is the seventh country in Asia and 12th in the world with the most number of people. Several groups with different culture lives in the Philippines.

The largest city of the Philippines is Quezon City which has 2,761,720 people. Quezon City is part of Metro Manila, a metropolis which is made up of 17 cities and a town. The capital of the country, Manila which has 1,652,171 people is part of this metropolis. 11,855,975 people live in Metro Manila. The second and third biggest cities of the Philippines which is not a part of Metro Manila is Davao (1,449,296 people) and Cebu (866,171 people).

What are the most common languages in the Philippines?
The official languages of the Philippines are English and Filipino. The Philippines has many regional languages with the most common aside from Tagalog are Cebuano, Ilocano, Bikol, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Waray, Sambal, Hiligaynon, Aklanon, Kinaray-a, Ivatan, Tausug, Chavacano, etc.

What is the most common religion in the Philippines?
Christianity is the most common religion in the Philippines. The most common type of Christianity is Roman Catholic (80%). The other types are mostly Protestant which includes the Philippine Independent Church (5-12%). 2.45% are estimated to be members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ). 3-11% of people in the Philippines are Muslims.

What is the sport of the Philippines?
The national sports of the Philippines is Modern Arnis which is a local kind of martial arts where two rattan sticks are often used. Basketball is the most popular sports in the Philippines and a basketball court can be found in most places of the country. The national team of the Philippines is considered as one of the best in Asia and their rivals are China, Iran, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei (name which Taiwan uses when playing in international sports competitions).

Boxing is also popular and many talented boxers came from the Philippines like Manny Pacquiao. In the past, football was popular sport in the country and did well often playing against China and Japan in the early part of the 20th century. Paulino Alcantara was one of the Philippines' best player who played in FC Barcelona, a football team in Spain (one of the best clubs in the world). Football became less popular as basketball becomes more popular. However, football is again becoming more popular.

Volleyball is also a popular sport in the Philippines especially for women. Aside from games of the national teams of the country, games between the teams of the country's well known universities are often watched (especially basketball and volleyball games).

What are some important sights?

 * The Baroque Churches of the Philippines is the grouping of four Churches built in the Spanish era by UNESCO. They had an important part in the Philippines' history. These churches are the San Agustin Church (in Manila), the Santa Maria Church (in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur), Paoay Church (in Paoay, Ilocos Norte) and the Miagao Church (in Miag-ao, Iloilo). The government has asked the UNESCO to add more churches to this grouping.


 * Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a national park in the island province of Palawan. It is found within the city of Puerto Princessa. The Puerto Princesa Underground River is found within the national park and is known as the second longest underground river with the first being the underground river in Yucatan in Mexico


 * Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras are a set of rice terraces in the Cordillera mountain range in Luzon. It was made by the Ifugao people in around 1600 A.D. These rice terraces as a group is a UNESCO heritage site. The Banaue Rice Terraces is another popular site located nearby although it is not a UNESCO site.


 * Tubbataha Reef is a reef and UNESCO site found in the Sulu Sea. It is found in between the islands of Palawan and Mindanao. It is a popular diving site and is home to many kinds of wildlife.


 * Vigan is the capital of the Philippine province of Ilocos Sur and is known for its buildings and cobblestone roads. It is known as the best preserved Spanish colonial towns in Asia. The architectural designs of the building has a mixture of Spanish, Chinese, and Philippine influences. It was named as a UNESCO heritage site in 1999.


 * Mayon Volcano, located at the centerpiece of the province of Albay, it is the most active volcano in the Philippines and is known for its beautiful slopes. It is dubbed as the most perfect cone shaped volcano in the world.