- Officially: Republic of the Philippines
- Capital: Manila
Facts
- Population: 104 million
- More than 7,000 islands make up the Philippines, but the bulk of the population lives on just 11 of them.
- Major languages: Filipino, English (both official)
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 66 years (men), 73 years (women)
- Currency: Philippine peso
Geography
- Area: 300,000 sq km (115,831 sq miles)
- More than 7,000 islands make up the Philippines
- The country is mountainous and prone to earthquakes and eruptions from around 20 active volcanoes
- The area is often hit by typhoons and other major storms
Notes
- President Rodrigo Duterte
- The beaches on the island of Boracay are consistently rated as some of the best in the world.
- In 2018 the President closed the island to tourists in an effort to build infrastructure and crack down on overdevelopment.
Tourism
- Hotspots: Manila, Cebu and Boracay
- Batanes region and Bohol are becoming popular with tourists
Overlanding
- It may be possible to ferry from Malaysian Borneo to the southern Filipino island of Mindanao. However, there are strong government advisories about travel to this area. (2019)