Philippines facts and figures:
capital: Manila
land area: 299,000 sq km; 7,017 islands
population: 84.61 million
people: the majority of Filipinos are descendants of Malays, Chinese, and Muslim minorities. More than 100 cultural minority groups throughout the country
language: Filipino and English, with 10 other languages and 87 dialects
religion: predominantly Roman Catholic. Also Protestant, Muslim and Buddhist
government: republic
currency: Philippine peso (PhP)
geography: an archipelago located between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Viet Nam and north of Borneo. 1900 km north to south, 1100 km east to west
climate: March to May is hot and dry, June to October is rainy, November to February is cool. Average temperatures 78F/32C, humidity 77%
environment: The Philippines is a rich biodiversity, with around 12,000 plant species, 1100 land vertebrate species, and at least 500 species of coral. Total forest area 18%; coastal ecosystem almost 20,000 km
time: GMT + 8 hours |
