☰

Earth

Continents

Asia

Southeast Asia Map

Philippines

All Countries

Country Profile Government Maps News Culture Business Tourism World Heritage Sites Education Environment History Native Info

Philippines

Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano within the Cabusilan Mountains (Zambales Mountains) on the island of Luzon. The crater lake was formed after the eruption in 1991.
Image: ChrisTomnong

Location map of Philippines

Flag of Philippines

The Philippines in brief

Destination Philippinesa Nations Online country profile of the archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia. The island nation is situated south of Taiwanbetween the South China Sea in the west and the Pacific Ocean in the east. The country consists of more than 7,640 islands (according to the Philippines government). It shares maritime borders with China Indonesia Japan Malaysia Palau Vietnamand Taiwan.

The Philippines' three main island groups are LuzonVisayasand Mindanao. The country occupies a combined land area of 300,000 km²; this is about the size of Italy or slightly larger than the size of the US state of Arizona.

The archipelago's population of 114 million people (in 2024) making it the world's second-most populous island country (after Indonesia); Luzonthe largest island groupaccounts for more than half of the entire population of the Philippines.

Located in the southwestern part of Luzon is the capital of the PhilippinesManilathe largest city is Quezon Cityboth are part of Metro Manilaa metropolis with a population of almost 13 million people. Spoken languages are Filipino and English (both official); 19 more languages are regional recognized. Main religion is Roman Catholic (almost 80%)Muslim 6.4%-8%.

What are the Philippines famous for?
Some things the Philippines are famous for are:
The Banaue Rice Terraces; the walled area of Intramuros in the city of Manila; the MassKara Festival in Bacolod; the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park in the Sulu Sea; the amazing Chocolate Hills in Bohol province; the Hanging Coffins in SagadaMountain Province; the White Beach on Boracay; small but dangerousthe Taal Volcano; Jeepneys.

Republic of the Philippines | Republika ng Pilipinas

Background:
The Philippines are the highest portions of a partly submerged mountain chain and is made up of more than 7,000 islands; the three main island groups are LuzonVisayasand Mindanao. The Philippines is one of the most westernized nations in Southeast Asiaa unique blend of eastern and western cultures.

Spain (1565-1898) and the United States (1898-1946) colonized the country and exerted the greatest influence on Filipino culture.

This is about to change. Philippine President Duterte announced a 'separation' from the US; he declared he has realigned with China as the two countries agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks. Duerte said in his speech at a forum in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing: "America has lost. I've realigned myself in your ideological flowand maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world — ChinaPhilippinesand Russia. It's the only way."

Duterte's term is now uphe is ineligible for re-election as he is limited to a single term. Main contenders for the presidency in 2022 areincumbent Vice President Leni RobredoBongbong Marcosthe son of the notorious former presidentdictator and kleptocrat Ferdinand Marcosand Sara Dutertethe daughter of President and strongman Rodrigo Dutertewho became known for his war on drug policies and related extrajudicial killings.
The election is marred by an info-war on social media. ^[Wpost] ^[CSIS]

Country Profile

Official Name:
Republika ng Pilipinas
short form: Pilipinas
int'l long form: Republic of the Philippines
int'l short form: Philippines

ISO Country Code: phPHL

Time:
Local Time = UTC +8h
Actual Time: Fri-May-15 13:50

Country Calling Code: +63

Capital City: Manila (population: 1.8 million; Manila is part of a much larger metropolitan area with an estimated population of 13 million people (in 2020).

Other Cities:
Quezon City (3 million)Davao City (2.5 million); Cebu City (0.7 million)

Government:
Type: Republic
Independence: 12 June 1898 (from Spain)
Constitution: 2 February 1987effective 11 February 1987

Geography:
Location: Southeastern Asiaarchipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Seaeast of Vietnam.
Area: 300,000 km² (115 739 sq m)
Terrain: Mountains on the smaller islandslarger islands have mountains with fertile river valleys in the interior and narrow to extensive coastal plains.

Climate: TropicalMarch to May is hot and dryrainy season from June to October November to February moderate. Average temperatures: 78°F / 25°C to 90°F / 32°C

People:
Nationality: Noun--Filipino(s). Adjective--Philippine.
Population: 114 million (in 2024)
Luzonthe largest island group accounts for more than half of the entire population.
Ethnic Groups: MalayChinese.
Real GDP per capita: $9,700 (2023 est.)
Religions: Catholic 80%Moslem 15%Christian denominationsand Buddhists.
Languages: Filipino (standardized Tagalog) and English (official). Filipinowhich is based on Tagalogis the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education.
Literacy: 92%

Transparency: Rank 115 (out of 180 countries); Score 34on a scale from 100 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt). Philippines is ranked in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2020 between Moldova and Egypt.

Natural resources: Timberlimited offshore petroleumextensive mineral deposits of coppergoldsilvernickelleadand chromium.

Agriculture products: Ricecoconutscornsugarcanebananaspineapples mangoesporkeggsbeeffish.

Industries: electronics assemblytextilespharmaceuticalschemicals wood productsfood processingpetroleum refiningfishing.

Exports - commodities: semiconductors and electronic productstransport equipmentgarmentscopper productspetroleum productscoconut oilfruits

Exports - partners: US 14%China 14%Hong Kong 11%Japan 10%Singapore 6% (2022)

Imports - commodities: electronic productsmineral fuelsmachinery and transport equipmentiron and steeltextile fabricsgrainschemicalsplastic

Imports - partners: China 32%Indonesia 8%South Korea 7%Japan 7%Singapore 6% (2022)

Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP)

The Philippines in Figures
Philippines' key statistical data.

Official Sites of Philippines

Malacañang Palaceofficial residence of the President of the Philippines in Manila

The facade of the Malacañang Palace as seen from Pasig River. The palace is located in Manila; it is the official residence of the President of the Philippines.
Image: www.gov.ph

Political system
The Philippines' political system is that of a presidentialrepresentativeand democratic republic with a multi-party system. Head of government head of stateand commander in chief of the armed forces is the president. The President of the Philippines is elected by direct vote by the people for one term of six years. He will only serve for one term and is not eligible for reelection. The second highest official is the Vice-President. Philippines' legislature is a bicameral Congress consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives.

Philippines Government

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

GOV.PH
The official website of the Republic of the Philippines.

The President of the Republic of the Philippines
The President's Office.

Office of the Vice President of the Philippines
The Vice President's Office.

The Philippine legislature is a two-chamber Congress consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives:
The House of Representatives.
Part of the bicameral congress.
Senate of the Philippines
Part of the bicameral congress.

Philippine Information Agency
PIA's mission is to provide people with government information.

Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs
Official site of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Diplomatic Missions
Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations
Philippines' representation to the UN.
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in the U.S.
Philippine Embassy WashingtonD.C.
Philippine Embassies
Philippine Missions abroad.
Foreign Diplomatic Missions to the Philippines
Diplomatic and Consular List.

Statistics
Philippine Statistics Authority
Official website of the National Statistics Office.

Maps of Philippines

Map of Philippines (click map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org

Maps

Map of the Philippines
Political Map of the Philippines.

Google Earth Philippines
Searchable map/satellite view of the Philippines.

Google Earth Manila
Searchable map/satellite view of Manila.

Google Earth Cebu City
Searchable map/satellite view of Manila.

Map of the South China Sea
Political map of the South China Sea region.

Map of Southeast Asia
Map of the Southeast Asia region.

Map of Asia
Reference Map of Asia.

News from the Philippines

Philippines Newspapers

Online News from the Philippines

Business World
Philippine Business and Finance Magazine.

Daily Tribune
News from the Philippines.

Manila Bulletin
Philippines' Largest Newspaper.

The Manila Times
All the newsall the viewsall the time.

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Balanced newsfearless views.

Philippine News Agency (PNA)
Government-run Office of the Press Secretary (OPS)Philippines.

The Philippine Star
English-language news from Manila.

Rappler
English-language news.

Tempo
Philippines tabloid.

TV
ABS-CBN
Online news by the Filipino media and entertainment group.
GMA News Online
News by the commercial GMA Network.

International News sources
The Filipino Express
News for the Filipino American community.

The Guardian - Philippines
UK's The Guardian with Philippines related news.

Independent
Philippines news by UK's Independent.

Arts & Culture of Philippines

Kadayawan Festival in Davao CityPhilippines.
Image: Bro. Jeffrey PioquintoSJ

Arts & Culture

MassKara FestivalBacolod. Western Visayas.

MassKara Festival in the City of BacolodWestern Visayas.
Image: Elmer B. Domingo

Ballet Philippines
Dramaticinnovative neo-ethnic the country's flagship company in ballet and contemporary dance.

Museums
Lopez Museum
Art museum and library in Pasig (Metro Manila).

The Mind Museum
A science museum in Taguig (Metro Manila).

Museo Pambata
The first hands-on discovery museum for children in the Philippines.

National Museum
The National Museum of the Philippines.

More Art & Culture
Ateneo Art Gallery
Museum of modern art of the Ateneo de Manila University.

Ayala Museum
The museum houses ethnographic and archaeological exhibits on Filipino cultureartand history.

Metropolitan Museum of Manila
Museum for modern and contemporary visual arts in Manila.

Cultural Center of the Philippines
The cultural institution nurtures and promotes artistic excellenceFilipino aesthetics and identity.

MassKara Festival
Official website of the annual festival held every fourth Sunday of October in BacolodPhilippines.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts
Site about Philippine culture and arts.

Philippine Culture
Information about Philippines Culture from De La Salle University (DLSU).

Philmusic.com
Philippine music forum.

Spot.ph
Your One-Stop Urban Life Guide to the Best of Manila.

Business & Economy of Philippines

Jeepneys in Baguio CityPhilippines

Jeepneys (Filipino: Dyipni) in Baguio CityJeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines and symbols of Philippine culture.
Image: Jeff Jacinto

The Economy of the Philippines
The Philippines is one of the newly-industrialized countries (NIC); its economy is divided; there are a modern electronics industry and a booming service sector on one handpoverty and subsistence agriculture on the other.

In additionthere is a development gap between the greater Manila area (National Capital Region/NCR)which in many places reflects the level of development of an emerging countryand the economically backward provinces.

Agriculture still employs about one-third of the labor forcebut its share of the national product is only about 10%. Tourism is also an important sector for the country's economycontributing another 10% to the Philippines' GDP.

Business
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
The Central Bank of the Republic of the Philippines.

Philippine Stock Exchange PSE
The national stock exchange of the Philippines

List of Philippine Stocks
The page shows all companies listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Major companies in the Philippines
The top 30 public listed companies.

Department of Trade and Industry
The DTI is the executive arm of the Philippine Government and serves as the primary coordinatingpromotingand supporting arm for tradeindustryand investment in the country.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Government agency for the Philippines' tradecommerceand industry.

Transportation

Airlines
Cebu Pacific Air
The Philippines' second flag carrier and a low-cost airline.

Philippine Airlines
Philippines' national carrier operates domestic and international scheduled services from ManilaCebuClarkand Kalibo.

Railways
Philippine National Railways - PNR
State-owned railway company in the Philippinesoperating a single-track on Luzon.

Tourism in Philippines

Beach at Boracay islandWestern Visayas

White beach at Boracaya small island in Western Visayas.
Image: Carabaopower

Destination Philippines - Travel and Tour Guides

Discover the Philippines:
Cities: Manila Cebu Cityother destinations: El Nido Palawan Puka Beach Boracaythe City of ViganMasskara Festival BacolodChocolate Hills Bohol islandKadayawan Festival Davao

More Fun Philippines
The Philippines' official tourism website.

The Philippines Department of Tourism
Philippines Department of Tourism Main Portal.

Philippines
Another website of the Philippines Department of Tourism.

Cebu Province Official Website
The official information site for the island of Cebu.

Experience Western Visayas
Tourist guide to Western Visayas.

Philippines Trivia
From Angono Petroglyphs to Conus GloriamarisDavao Cityjeepneysand much more Philippine Trivia.

Wikivoyage: Philippines
A Wikivoyage guide to the Philippines.

City Guides
Manila
Official site of the city of Manila.

Cebu
Official site of the city of Cebu.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Farmers plant rice at the stonewalled Nagacadan Rice TerracesPhilippines

The ancestors of the indigenous people carved the Banaue Rice Terraces into the mountains of Ifugao on the island of Luzon.
The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras are a World Heritage Site.
Image: Shubert Ciencia

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines
There are six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines and nineteen sites on the Tentative List (see the List)

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
The high rice fields of Ifugao have followed the contours of the mountains for 2,000 years. They are the result of knowledge passed down from generation to generation and are the expression of sacred traditions and a delicate social balance. The rice terraces have contributed to the creation of a beautiful landscape that expresses the harmony between man and the environment.

Historic City of Vigan
Vigan was founded in the 16th century and is the best-preserved example of a Spanish colonial city in Asia. The town represents a unique combination of Asian construction and European colonial architecture and planning. Cultural elements from other parts of the Philippines have merged with Chinese and European influencesresulting in a cityscape that can hardly be found anywhere else in East and Southeast Asia.

Baroque Churches of the Philippines
These four churchesthe first of which was built by the Spaniards in the late 16th centuryare located in ManilaSanta MariaPaoayand Miag-ao. Their unique architectural is a reinterpretation of the European Baroque by Chinese and Filipino artisans.

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Tubbataha Reefs Nature Park has a protected area of nearly 100,000 hectares of marine habitats encompassing three atolls and a large nearshore area. The marine biodiversity of the area is very high and includes important species such as whalesdolphinssharksturtles and humphead wrasse (Napoleonfish). The reef ecosystems contain more than 350 coral species and nearly 500 fish species. The reserve also protects one of the last seabird nesting colonies in the region.

Calle (alley) Crisólogo in ViganPhilippines

Calle (alley) Crisólogo in Viganpreserved Spanish colonial history and a great location to take your next Instagram selfie.
The Historic City of Vigan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: Ray in Manila

Education in Philippines

University of Santo Tomas in ManilaPhilippines.

The University of Santo Tomas is a private Roman Catholic research university in Manilait was founded on 28 April 1611.
Image: Mark Joseph C. Olmedo

De La Salle University
The university was founded as De La Salle College in 1911.

University of the Philippines-Diliman
UP Diliman is the flagship university of the University of the Philippines System founded in 1949.

University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines in Manila was founded in 1908.

University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas is a Roman Catholic research university in Manila.

The Philippines University System
A gateway to Philippines Universities.

Environment & Nature

Mount Mayon and the city of Legazpi on the island of Luzon

Mount Mayona stratovolcano near the city of Legazpi on the island of Luzonis the most active volcano in the Philippines.
Image: Dexbaldon

Environmental issues in the Philippines
The risk of natural catastrophes in the Philippines is attributable to the location of the Philippines. It is a country in the Pacific Ring of Fire that is prone to earthquakesvolcanic eruptionsand typhoons. There are 23 active volcanoes in the Philippines.

Environmental Management Bureau
Government agency responsible for pollution prevention and controland environmental impact assessment.

Haribon Foundation
The Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources is a membership organization dedicated to the conservation of Philippine biodiversity.

Palawan Council for Sustainable Development
A national agency for sustainable development through complementation of environmental preservationprotectionand rational utilization of Palawan's natural resources.

PEMSEA
PEMSEA has been at the forefront of protecting life support systems and enabling the sustainable use and management of coastal and marine resources through intergovernmental interagencyand multisectoral partnerships.

Philippines History

Miag-ao Church is one of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines

Miagao Church is one of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines built by the Spanish in the 16th century. The Baroque Churches of the Philippines

are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: Alienscream

Synopsis of Philippine History
Philippines history by Philippine-History.org.

Philippines profile - Timeline
Timeline of key events of the Philippines' history by the BBC.

History of the Philippines
The Philippines from Early History until today.

Bahay Tsinoy
The historical and cultural legacy of the Chinese in all aspects of Philippine life.

Indigenous People of Philippines

Monument of the five Igorot tribes of Baguio

Monument of the Five Igorot Tribes of the mountains of northern LuzonPhilippines.
Image: Gideon Ponio

Ifugao
The mountain people of the Philippines.

Indigenous Religious Beliefs and Cosmology of the Filipino
The belief systems of native Filipinos.

Traditional Music of the Ethnic Minorities
Music and Pictures of the mountain people by the ethnomusicologist Hans Brandeis.

Images of Igorrotes on the Philippine Reservation
The first comprehensive display of the Filipinostheir work and habitsmade in the United States (1904 St. Louis World's Fair).

Additional Information

Amnesty International: Philippines
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.

BBC Country Profile: Philippines
Country profiles by the British public service broadcaster.

BTI Transformation Index Philippines
Philippines Country Report 2020 by Bertelsmann Stiftung.

FAO: Philippines
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization in the Philippines.

Freedom House profile Philippines
The U.S. government-funded non-profit organization whose goal is to promote liberal democracies worldwide.

GlobalEDGE: Philippines
Philippines ranking by the Global business knowledge portal.

The Heritage Foundation: Philippines
2020 Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundationan American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: Philippines
HRW conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

OEC: Philippines
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest international trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: Philippines
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO that defends and promotes media freedom.

Wikipedia: Philippines
Wikipedia's Philippines page in many languages.

WikiPilipinas Encyclopedia
The biggest collaborative writing project in the Philippines.

The CIA World Factbook -- Philippines
CIA World Factbook intelligence Philippines.