The Philippines is a string of more than 7,100 islands present in southeastern Asia.Someone who talks about Asian countries will definitely mention the Philippines. Here are some facts about the Philippines that will truly bring out the essence of what it truly is!Filled with every sort of cultural norm a person could imagine, the Philippines, a southeast Asian country, has been revered throughout Asia for its beauty and its customs, and we are here to contribute to that. The Philippines, a country with places with lovely names like the Chocolate Hills, so named because of the lush green that turns into a chocolate brown, has had a tumultuous history, particularly during the Spanish colonization of the country.Originally arriving in 1565, the Spanish quickly took over using the policy of divide and conquer, bringing almost the entirety of the Philippines into a single unified state. The Filipinos were violently oppressed by the Spanish, who put down many revolts. The Spanish colony established had put people in poverty, with the Spanish government providing barely enough money to sustain the entire country. Read on, to find out more facts about the Philippines and its troubled, yet inspiring history!If you enjoyed reading these facts, then you must check these facts about Portugal and facts about Spain.Fun Facts About PhilippinesChanging the tone a bit, the Philippines might’ve had a lot of trouble and unnecessary barging into their territory, but it has recovered quite nicely and is a sought-after tourist destination.Despite the horrors it has faced, the facts about the Philippines offered here will make you, as a reader, understand how truly brave and wonderful the country is!Firstly, the Philippines is an archipelago and is the second largest one of all the countries in the world! What does that mean, you may ask? Well, an archipelago of the Philippine islands has been defined as a group of islands that are considered a single unit, including the internal bodies of water. The Philippines has more than 7640 islands under its wing! Due to it being an archipelago, the Philippines does not need separate governance for separate islands. Instead, it has been divided into three broad areas: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.The total number of languages spoken in the country is approximately 175, with Filipino and English dominating most people’s skills. As the Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world, with a population surpassing 109 million, 11% of it would be a lot. And yet, that’s the number of people who work overseas from the Philippines, making it the largest supplier of nurses in the world! A cute little fact about the Philippines is that it’s the largest exporter of coconut in the world, calling them ‘Buko’ and shipping off around 19 million ton (17 million metric ton) of it a year.Another cute little fact about this country would be how Filipinos send more texts than the US and Europe combined. Can you guess how many per day that is? If you guessed 400 million, you were right, and this particular thing has earned them the nickname of ‘The Texting Capital of the World’!With 300 volcanoes all over the country, the Philippines has an island with more volcanoes than towns! Known as Camiguin, this place possesses seven volcanoes and five towns. The volcanoes have been dormant for more than 60 years now, so this area serves as a great tourist destination with its beautiful beaches. Named after King Philip II of Spain, the islands were called the Philippines and are called the Republika Ng Pilipinas in Filipino, one of the languages most spoken in the country.Historical Facts About PhilippinesA country whose antiquity could rival every place we can think of, the Philippines is home to a rich and extensive history, starting from pre-historic times, with several artifacts being found from as early as 47,000 years ago.In Philippine history, evidence of the earliest human inscription in the state is of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, which was an important document in those times, talking about several connections to kingdoms, such as the one in Java. Trading has also become rampant at this point, with China being the main customer. Indian inscriptions started arriving in the country around the 10th century, most probably due to the Hindu Majahapit Empire. Islam, on the other hand, spread in the 15th century through the Sulu archipelago.However, after the Spanish rule took hold, most people were either forcefully converted or wrongfully led to assume that their religion prevented them from living a peaceful life. In 1565, as spoken about in earlier paragraphs, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived from Mexico, eventually making Spanish Manila the capital of the islands. The Spanish era viewed the 7,500 islands as a drain on their economy and had several plans to abandon the state or exchange it for another colony, but never went through with them due to a desire to continue religious conversion. The colonial treasury suffered a significant loss due to the war against the Dutch and Muslims.The Filipino people, however, had their sense of social identity reawakened after the news of the Latin American struggles for independence spread. Independence was sought in several regards, like the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the executions of Catholic priests under false pretenses in 1872, and other instances that radicalized the notion of national pride and identity within the people.Finally, independence was declared from Spain on January 21st, 1899. But as it became very clear that the US would not recognize the First Philippine Republic as its state, the Philippine-American war began. Leading to the loss of almost a million civilians, mostly because of famine and disease, the American government took hold, seizing areas previously not captured by the Spanish either. This did nothing to quell people’s spirits, and instead, Tagalog was established as a national language and women’s suffrage was introduced. During World War II, a million Filipinos were murdered in atrocities committed against them, like the Death March and the Manila Massacre, by the Japanese Inquisition. Underground resistance against the Japanese prevailed, and eventually, the Philippine government acted as one of the founding members of the United Nations.Geographical Facts About The PhilippinesThe Philippines encompasses almost 115,830 sq mi (300,000 sq km) of land, and its capital, Manila, a part of Metro Manila, has the highest population density of any city with 56,700 per sq mi (146,852 per sq km), despite being only 16.6 sq mi (43 sq km) in area!Another interesting Philippines fact is that out of the 7500 islands it encompasses, only around 2000 are inhabited; the rest remain unnamed on world maps. The Philippines was originally just a group of islands that were under different kingdoms and was not an archipelago before the Spanish takeover. The Philippines has the world’s fifth longest coastline, with the Philippine Sea to the east, the South China Sea to the west, and the Celebes Sea to the south.The South China Sea, located in the western Pacific Ocean alongside the islands, has immense importance geologically. Known as a megadiverse country, the Philippines has eight types of forests throughout the islands, and produces the second-most geothermal power in the world, with 18 % of the country running on said power. The tropical climate usually provides humidity, with three seasons prevalent throughout the year. Temperatures range from 69.8-89.6 °F (21-32 °C); it is almost always dry despite being humid, apart from the monsoons.Other than the volcanic facts already mentioned, a tragic incident that should be mentioned is Mount Pinatubo’s eruption, which displaced almost a million inhabitants and was so impactful that it decreased the global temperature and increased the pace at which the ozone layer depleted.Facts About Philippines CultureFilipino culture, despite the area being under Spanish control for almost 300 years, has retained its own beautiful identity. It’s stark in some areas, like Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, which have mostly Islamic influence due to the Spanish inability to conquer those places.Cultural diversity is especially visible due to the number of islands it traverses and changes through, evidenced by the languages spoken in the country.A surprising fact about the Philippines is the number of Spanish surnames. This would not have been peculiar if not for the fact that that does not usually denote Spanish ancestry. The answer to this lies here: Governor-General Narciso tried to implement Hispanic nomenclature in the country and ordered the changing of names to do so. Philippine cuisine differs significantly across the islands, in staple foods as well; for example, rice is the staple food pairing in Luzon, whereas cassava is common in Mindanao. Kamayan, the act of eating with your hands, became popularized with the introduction of Philippine cuisine more popular in urban areas. The main ethnic groups are Visayan, Tagalog, Ilocano, and others, who make up less than 10% of the population.The tourism sector excels widely in the Philippines due to the extensive views and beautiful beaches it has. It makes up 10.5% of their GDP, as seen in 2015, and is one of the largest providers of jobs every year. A functional literacy rate of 90. 3% is boasted by the country, and education is given a lot of importance, financially and otherwise. A secular state by nature, Christianity is the dominant faith, with Islam as the second-largest religion. Indigenous religions are treated with respect, with their population making up 0.24% of the entirety.Boxing as a sport is widely loved across the nation, and when the nation’s favorite, Manny, is in the ring, it is reported that the crime rate drops to zero on the streets. That is not the only sport that dominates Filipino hearts, though! Basketball is a huge sport in the country, with makeshift hoops seen on every street, and their professional league, the PBA, is the second oldest, only after the NBA! It is so cherished that US players with NBA experience come to the Philippines to play for the PBA.To end this, we must share facts about the jeepneys and the Philippine flag. Almost 50,000 run in Manila alone, and these are extended cabs that carry more people. The second one is that the Philippine flag was designed by Emilio Aguinaldo and then sewn by his daughter!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 143 facts about Philippines that will make you pack your bags, then why not take a look at interesting facts about Argentina, or fun facts about northern Ireland.
The Philippines is a string of more than 7,100 islands present in southeastern Asia.
