About The Philippines

The Philippines is an island nation in Southeast Asia with a population of 90 million. With a territory of 300,000 km², the nation constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands gathered in three groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, which are then divided into 17 regions, 81 provinces, 131 cities and 1,497 municipalities. The city of Manila, in Luzon Island, is the capital and second largest city after Quezon City.

This group of islands was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. The Philippines are considered the only Hispanic nation in Asia, having four centuries of Spanish colonisation. Small groups of Hispanic culture are still present, and it is the only country in Southeast Asia where the main religion is Catholicism.  

Demographics

The Philippines is the country with the greatest ethnic diversity in Asia. 95% of its mestizo population has Malay ascendency, and are descendants from immigrants of the Malay Peninsula who arrived long before the Christian era.   
Small foreign communities are present, including North Americans, Koreans, Japanese, Latin Americans, Europeans, Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis. 

Language

The official languages are Tagalog and English.