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A democratic republic located in the Western Pacific Ocean, the Republic of the Philippines is made up of the Philippine Islands and is the island group at the northernmost part of the Malay Archipelago.

The Philippines is situated about 1,210 km (about 750 mi) east of the coast of Vietnam and is separated in the north from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel. Bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea (and Pacific Ocean), on the south by the Celebes Sea, and on the west by the South China Sea, the archipelagic state comprises about 7,100 islands. Resulting from this situation are great variations in climate, geography and vegetation.

The total area of the Philippines has a total area of about 300,000 sq km (about 115, 830 sq mi). About 298,170 of the total area is land area with the remaining 1,830 being the total water area. The capital and largest city of the Philippines is Manila.

Extending 1,850 km (1,150 mi) from north to south and almost 1,127 km (700 mi) east to west, the Philippine Island group is of volcanic origin and generally mountainous. Running parallel to the coasts, as well as bordering them in many places, the mountain ranges extend north to south. There are about 20 active volcanoes on the islands, and earthquakes are fairly common.

The larger islands, Luzon and Mindanao, are characterized by high mountains with alluvial plains and narrow fertile valleys. Unlike the larger islands with their relatively diverse topography, the smaller islands are mountainous with surrounding flat lowlands.

Mount Apo, the Philippines' highest point, reaches 9692 ft (2954 m) and is found in the southernmost ranges on Mindanao, the second largest Philippine island.

Considered to be part of the Tropics, the Philippines' mean annual temperature is about 80°F (27°C) with the interior valleys tending to be a little warmer and the mountain peaks a little cooler than the mean. The relative humidity averages about 77%.

The rainy season is from May to November, which is the summer monsoon, while the dry season occurs during the winter monsoon from December to April. Typically, the weather is cool from November to February, while it's very hot and dry from March to May. The rainiest times are from June to October, with typhoons not uncommon during this time. The average rainfall in the lowlands is about 80 inches a year (2030 mm).

Places of Interests:

Manila
Manila has officially 6 million inhabitants (unofficially more than 9 millions)and it is one of the most exhausting cities in Southeast Asia. Don't expect to get any rest. For that kind of thing you need to take a plane to one of the smaller islands. Manila is the capital of the Philippines and was founded in 1571 around Manila Bay on the east coast of Luzon, the largest and most northerly island. It is by far the biggest city in the country. Manila started out as a humble village and has grown to become the governmental, commercial and educational centre of the nation.

The heart of old Manila can be found inside the Intramuros, the original Spanish settlement. The fort and St. Augustine Church still are good examples of colonial architecture.

The University of Santo Tomas is one of the oldest universities in Asia. It has a very interesting Arts and Science Museum.

Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan de Oro is a city located at the North of Mindanao. Cagayan de Oro is known as "City of Golden Friendship" because the people here are friendly. This is a Business Center for Northern Mindanao. Cagayan de Oro is one of the Mindanao Cities Progressive. From Davao, Cagayan de Oro is travelled 6-7 hours by land (via Buda or Bukidnon). Some popular malls in the city is SM, Robinsons Big R, Ororama, Gaisano and the Cagay-anons pride, the Limketkai Mall. There are some schools in the city that popular, one of this is the Xavier University or Ateneo de Cagayan. Majority of the people here are speaking Cebuano because some of the people here are came from Cebu and Bohol. Cagayan de Oro is a city that nice to visit.

Davao
Davao City is located in Davao del Sur Province which is bounded on the north by Davao Province, on the east by Davao Gulf, on the west by Cotabato Province, and on the south by the Mindanao Sea. It is the largest city in the world in terms of land area. Davao would be a great tourist destination if there would not be the serius problems on Mindanao. It is still the major economic centre in Southern Mindanao Yet, to this day, Davao City continues to straddle two worlds - the new and the old. Part of it is a flourishing metropolis of business districts, mechanized farms and cosmopolitan villages where "instant millionaires" live. And the other part is a rural landscape of hills that roll down into fertile valleys, dominated by the 2,954-meter-high Mount Apo, the grandfather of all Philippine mountains, and peopled by the Bagobo, Manobo, Mandaya, Bilaan and other ancestral tribes.

Davao City is the home of 1 million people of different origins. Every citizen of Davao City speaks Cebuano. However, Other Davaonos speak English and Filipino. English is the main language for educational institutions and business transactions.

Banaue
The spectacular rice terraces around Banaue, in north Luzon, have been described (like a lot of other places) as the eighth wonder of the world. Carved out of the hillside by Ifugao tribespeople 2000 to 3000 years ago, these remarkable terraces stretch like stepping stones to the sky - some reaching an altitude of 1500m (4920ft).

Culture

The Philippines has developed a mixed culture from the blending of foreign influences with native elements. Today some of the isolated tribes are the only people whose culture remains unadulterated by earlier Muslim and later Spanish and American influences.

Although traditional theatre, literature and kundimans (love songs) in the national language have experienced a resurgence since Cory Aquino's People Power movement, visitors are more likely to witness beauty contests, lurid soap operas, violent and sentimental Filipino movies, and local bands perfectly imitating Western pop tunes.

About 10% of Filipinos (the so-called cultural minority groups or tribal Filipinos) retain their traditional culture. There are some 60 ethnological groups, ranging from the Badjao of the Sulu archipelago, who are sea gypsies, to the head-hunting Kalinga north of Bontoc.

The Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia. Over 90% of the population claim to follow Christian faiths. The largest of the minority religious groups is the Muslims, who live chiefly on Mindanao and in the Sulu archipelago. There is also a Philippine Independence Church, some Buddhists, and a small number of animists.

The geography and history of the Philippines have conspired to produce a multiplicity of languages, some 80 dialects in total. The concept of a national language developed after the Spanish-American War in 1898 and Tagalog was declared the national language in 1936. There were several other contenders for this role, including Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Ilocano. A compromise reached in 1973 confirmed Pilipino as the national language. This is based on Tagalog, but has linguistic elements of other Philippine languages. Despite this, English remains the language of commerce and politics in the Philippines.

Filipino cuisine has Chinese, Malay and Spanish influences. Popular morning and afternoon snacks are called merienda, and pulutan (small morsels) are served with alcoholic drinks. Barbecued sticks of meat or seafood are popular evening snacks. Standard dishes, always served with rice, include meat and vegetables cooked with vinegar and garlic, grilled grouper (or groper), meat stews and a huge variety of soups: rice, noodle, beef, chicken, liver, offal and sour vegetable. Side dishes include strips of unripened papaya, fermented fish or shrimp paste and bite-sized pieces of crispy pig skin. Halo-halo is a dessert made from crushed ice mixed with fruit preserves, sweet corn, young coconut and various tropical delights, topped with a wad of creme caramel and a scoop of ice-cream.

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