Philippines

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia   Philippines at a glance Did you know? There are more than 200 volcanoes in the Philippines, but only 21 of them are active. Region Southeast Asia Population 91,077,287 (2007 estimate) Land Geography: Archipelago of 7,107 mountainous islands Climate: Tropical, monsoonal People Religion: Christian (90%), Muslim (5%), Buddhist and other (2%) Language: Official: Filipino and English; 8 major indigenous languages Economy GDP per person (PPP): $5,000 (2006 est.) GDP by sector: Agriculture: 14.2%, Industry: 32.1%, Services: 53.7% Government Republic Land Physical geography The 7,107 islands of the Philippines stretch 1,850 km from north to south (equivalent from Melbourne to Bundaberg) and 1,100 km east to west (equivalent from Sydney to Broken Hill). Many of the islands are mountainous and many of the mountains are volcanic. Only about 1000 islands are larger than one square kilometre and 2500 aren't even named. The two largest islands, Luzon and Mindanao, make up 65% of the total land mass. The highest mountain, Mount Apo, 2,954 metres, is on the island of Mindanao. There are frequent destructive earthquakes. Climate The climate of the Philippines is tropical with high rainfall and consistently high temperatures, with local variations according to altitude. Monsoon winds and rains affect the country all year round - from the northeast from November to April, and from the southwest from May to October. On average, 20 typhoons, or cyclones, cross the Philippine region each year between June and December. Environment The Philippine archipelago is one of the most biologically diverse regions of the planet. The tropical rainforests and coral reefs of the Philippines are home to many wonderful plants and animals - the world's largest fish, the Whale Shark; the world's second-largest eagle, the Philippine Eagle; the world's smallest primate, the Tarsier; and the world's longest snake, the Reticulated Python. On the other hand uncontrolled deforestation and soil erosion in rural areas, air and water pollution in Manila and pollution of the fish breeding grounds in the coastal mangrove swamps are major environmental issues facing the Philippines. People About 61.9% of the Philippine population of 91 million live in cities. The capital city Manila has 10.3 million and has merged with the nearby cities of Quezon (1.9 million) and Kalookan (1 million). Davao (0.9 million) on Mindanao and Cebu City (0.6 million) on Cebu are the next largest cities. Rapid population growth and pressure on land means more people are moving from agricultural areas to the cities in search of a better life. People Culture and identity Approximately 95 percent of Filipinos are of Malay ethnicity (closely related to the people of Malaysia and Indonesia), although significant numbers also have Chinese or Spanish ancestry. The Spanish and American colonial influences give the country western elements as well. Numerous indigenous peoples, with their own languages and cultural traditions, also live in the Philippines. Among the best known are the Aeta people who live on Mt Pinatubo and the Ifugao people of northern Luzon who maintain World Heritage-listed rice terraces. Filipino, declared the national language in 1973, is based on Tagalog, the language spoken around Manila. Despite this, English remains the language of commerce and politics in the Philippines. Health Pollution, lack of clean water and sanitation and inadequate nutrition lead to the major causes of illness and death from diarrhoea and respiratory diseases, tuberculosis and malaria. Life expectancy is 70.5 years. Religion and beliefs The Philippines is one of the two predominantly Christian nations in Asia (East Timor is the other). Most Filipinos are Catholics, and the Catholic Church has great influence in social and political life. Religious celebrations and rituals are important in daily life, and often reflect a mixture of Spanish Catholic elements and traditional Philippine elements. There is also a Muslim minority, mainly concentrated in southern Mindanao, where Arab traders introduced Islam centuries ago. The small Buddhist community mainly consists of Filipinos of Chinese ethnic origin. Filipinos believe that children are gifts from God and therefore large families are common throughout the Philippines. Traditional religious practices are still performed by indigenous peoples - the Ifugao for example kill a chicken or pig to ensure a good harvest. Food and shelter Philippine cuisine has Malay, Chinese and Spanish influences. Meat (mostly pork and chicken) and vegetables may be cooked in coconut milk, stir fried with spices or stewed but will all be served with rice. There are a huge variety of soups. Desserts include halo-halo made from crushed ice mixed with sweets and fruits and smothered in evaporated milk, cakes and a wide range of fresh fruit. Housing in the cities ranges from large mansions to rough shelters made of corrugated iron and cardboard. Traditional homes in the rural areas vary from region to region but are usually made of wood, bamboo and straw. They are often raised from the ground and have large open areas to provide shelter from the heat. Economy Wealth and poverty There is great unevenness in the distribution of wealth in the Philippines. A small percentage of the population is very wealthy while the majority of the people are very poor. The richest 10% of the population share over one third of the wealth while the poorest 10% share only 2.3% with 40% living below the poverty line. In rural areas, most farmers do not own the land that they work and are required to give a percentage of their crop to the landowner as rent. Nearly 10% of GDP is from Filipinos working overseas. Education and work Although primary education is free and compulsory, many children are not able to go to school because their parents cannot afford to buy school supplies and sometimes children are required to work on the family farm or business. Classrooms are often crowded and hot and have few teaching resources. Many children are malnourished and find it difficult to study effectively. Despite these obstacles, 96% of the population aged 15 and over can read and write, reflecting the high importance that is placed on education. Nearly 40% of the population work in agriculture both subsistence and commercial but inadequate infrastructure and government policies limit its development. Unemployment is about 8 % which drives many people to search for work overseas, especially in the Middle East and Japan. These expatriate workers earn much needed foreign exchange but at the cost of being separated from their families and the loss of the country's investment in education. Industries and products Agricultural products include rice, coconuts, corn, sugar cane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, pork, eggs, beef and fish. Industrial products and activities include textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly and petroleum refining. Trade The major trading partners of the Philippines are US, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Netherlands, Hong Kong and South Korea. Exports include electronic equipment, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, clothing, coconut products and tropical fruits. The Philippines imports include machinery and equipment, fuels and chemicals. Achievements and challenges Every year typhoons bring torrential rains resulting in devastating floods and landslides that destroy crops and often claim many human lives. Deforestation, soil erosion and pollution reduce food production. Opening up markets and land reform is slowly improving economic progress. The Philippines Government lacks the revenue needed to provide adequate services, and political instability and corruption have been major issues for some years. However the population is well educated and politically aware, and there is a free press and independent institutions, promoting greater accountability. Conflict has continued for many years over autonomy for the mainly Muslim areas of Mindanao. Links with Australia During the Second World War, the Philippines was invaded by Japanese forces. Philippine and American forces slowed the invasion, reducing the risk of a successful attack against Australia. Australia exports dairy products, medicines and copper to the Philippines while importing computers and telecommunications equipment from the Philippines. Trade restrictions and imbalances cause some concern to the Philippines. Australian mining companies operate a number of mines in the Philippines. Australia has a sizeable Philippines-born community. During the 1970s, many Filipina women migrated as spouses of Australian residents. Since then, most of the Philippines-born settlers have been sponsored by a family member. In 2001 there were nearly 104,000 Philippines-born persons in Australia living mainly in New South Wales (52,240), Victoria (22,500), Queensland (15,450) and Western Australia (5,400). Australia's aid program in the Philippines targets economic reform and strengthening governance, basic education, and conflict prevention and peace building. Main sources: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/

A pedicab is one of the many ways of getting around on the Manila streets