The Philippines, or the Republic of the Philippines as it is officially known, is a Southeast Asian island country situated in the Pacific Ocean.

Rock Beach, Philippines

Here are some Facts about the Philippines:

•  English is an official language  of the Philippines. English is also very present in the other official language of the country, Filipino, which is based on the Tagalog language. Filipino is known to use many English words in its lexicon. The country is the 5th largest English-speaking country in the world!
• The Philippines is a  very young country : 33,7% of its population is aged 14 years old or younger and the median age is 23.5 years old!
• The country’s flag shows one sun and three stars.
• The country was a  Spanish colony for more than three centuries , and the Spanish had a big influence on Filipino culture. It is King Philip II of Spain, who gave the Philippines its name.  The Philippines also has strong influences with the United States in the past and is currently a strong Ally.
• The Philippines is a  heavily volcanic country  and is situated in the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire.
•  Abodo  is arguably the unofficially national dish of the Philippines.  It consists of meat (chicken or pork) braised in a very tasty sauce (garlic, soy sauce, pepper, herbs).
•  Five Sports dominate  the island.  They are basketball, football, billiards, boxing and volleyball.  Many others consider cock fighting as the most popular sport as it is popular in many other South East Asian country.

Lots of Islands

The country is actually divided into 7 107 islands of different sizes, which are usually categorized into three main divisions: The Luzon islands, the country most populous, the Visayas islands, which is a cluster of islands surrounding the Visayan sea and finally the Mindanao, which consist of the large Mindanao island and its smaller outlying islands.  Two fantastic island to visit if you are into beaches are the island of Palawan as well as Cebu.  The fairly large island of Cebu is also know for its unique food.

Capital

The capital if the Philippines is Manila, and its most populous city is Quezon City. The country is surrounded by three other island countries, mainly Taiwan to the north, Borneo to the southwest, and Indonesia to the south. The island is a tropical island with most of its mountainous areas covered in tropical rainforests.

Beautiful Climate and Beaches

The Philippines are famous for its amazing tropical climate and long coastline covered with beautiful white-sand beaches. The country also has many popular tourist spots, including: the Tubbatha Reef, a marine and bird sanctuary formed of two large atolls, home to a spectacular variety of marine species.

The reef is made of pristine coral reef, turquoise lagoons and coral islands. It reef is one of the best dive sites of the world. Another great tourist spot are the Chocolate Hills of Bohol Province, which consist of 1 260 hills, somewhat shaped like Hersey’s chocolate kisses.

Shopping

The tourists looking for an amazing shopping experience are grandly served in the Philippines. The country has two huge malls, both located in Manila, named the SM Mall of Asia and the Festival Supermall.

Holidays

Any time is a good time to take a trip to the Philippines, except one week throughout the year, called Holy Week, which is around Easter. Holy Week is the busiest time of the year since most Filipinos are in holiday. Hotels are usually overbooked and prices triple during this week.

Ethnic Makeup

The country has a diverse ethnic makeup, with 28,1% of its population being Tagalog, 13,1% Cebuano, 9% Ilocano and many other ethnic groups. The country is overwhelmingly Catholic, with 80,9% of its population of Roman Catholic faith.