Countries Of The World: ThePhilippines

Image 1: A beach in Palawan, Philippines. The name means the "Land of Beautiful Safe Harbor.” There is much to do here, from

swimming to visiting Puerto Princesa, the second longest underground river in the world. Photo by: Getty Images/Maria Swärd.

The Philippines is an archipelago, or group of islands, that includes more than 7,100 islands in

southeastern Asia between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The two largest islands,

Luzon and Mindanao, make up two-thirds of the total land area. Only about one-third of the

islands are inhabited.

By National Geographic Kids, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.08.18

Word Count 500

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People And Culture

Filipinos are predominantly of Malay descent, frequently with Chinese and sometimes American

or Spanish ancestry.

Many Filipinos have Spanish names. That's because of a 19th-century Spanish decree that

required them to use Spanish surnames, or last names. Parents often name their children after

the saint whose feast day was on the day of their birth.

Elementary education in the Philippines starts at age 7. It is required by law and lasts for six

years. Secondary education begins at age 13 and lasts for four years. Undergraduate college

instruction in the Philippines is typically four years.

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Nature

The islands are home to many species of flowering plants and ferns, including hundreds of

species of orchids. Tall grasses have replaced the forests, which have disappeared due to

logging, mining and development.

The Philippines are inhabited by more than 200 species of mammals. They include monkeys,

squirrels, lemurs, mice, pangolins, chevrotains, mongooses, civet cats, and red and brown deer,

among others.

The binturong, or Asian bear cat, was once prominent. Now, however, this furry mammal is

vulnerable. The tamaraw, a species of small water buffalo found only on Mindoro, is critically

endangered.

Hundreds of species of birds live in the Philippines, either for all or part of the year, including

peacocks, pheasants, doves, parrots, kingfishers, sunbirds, tailorbirds, weaverbirds and

hornbills. The endangered Philippine eagle, which eats monkeys, is barely surviving

deforestation.

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Government And Economy

Filipinos elect their president. The president is the head of state and the commander-in-chief of

the armed forces and serves a six-year term.

The economy is based on agriculture, light industry and services. The country produces bananas,

rice, coconuts, corn, fish, mangos, pineapples, sugarcane, pork and beef.

History

The explorer Ferdinand Magellan first landed in the Philippines in 1521. The name Philippines

comes from Philip II. He was the king of Spain during the 16th century when the country became

a Spanish colony.

The Philippines was granted to the United States in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In

1935, the Philippines became self-governing, but their independence was delayed by World War

II and the invasion of Japanese troops.

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The islands were liberated by U.S. forces in 1944-1945, and the Republic of the Philippines was

proclaimed in 1946. Its government was patterned on that of the United States.

In 1965, Ferdinand Marcos was elected president. He declared martial law in 1972, which lasted

until 1981. After 20 years of rule, Marcos was driven from power in 1986. Corazon Aquino

became president and instituted a period of democratic rule in the country.

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