The Republic of the Philippines, commonly known as the Philippines, is an archipelagic country located in Southeast Asia. With an area of 300,000 square kilometers, the total population exceeded 100 million in 2015, becoming the second country in Southeast Asia with a population of more than 100 million.
1. The Sultanate of Sulu was an Islamic sultanate established by the Sulu people in 1457, with a border in the Sulu Archipelago, south of present-day Philippines. Tributary relations were established with China.
2. The Philippines was once one of the Four Tigers of Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines). The economies of the four Southeast Asian countries all grew by leaps and bounds in the 1990s like the Asian Tigers of the 1980s, hence the name.
3. Only 2,000 islands in the Philippines are inhabited. That means there are about 5500 islands where you can do Robinson Crusoe for a day or two!
Siakao Islands
4. Did you know that the name Philippines was created in honor of the King Philip II of Spain? It was named by the Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos.
5. The Philippines was the first country in Asia to gain independence after World War II.
Manila, the capital of the Philippines
6. Did you know that the Philippine flag is the only flag in the world that can show peace or war? If the blue is on it, then it is peace. However, if the red color is on it, it means that the country is in a state of war.
7. The Philippines implements an early marriage system, and girls are considered to have reached the age of marriage at the age of twelve or thirteen.
8. The Philippines is the only predominantly Christian Country in Asia, with about 80 per cent of the population practicing Roman Catholicism.
9. The Philippines is the only country in the world where divorce is illegal. The Catholic Church remains a strong and influential presence in the country and has long opposed the legalization of divorce. But while divorce is prohibited, that doesn't mean married couples can't be separated. Couples can get what is known as annulment of marriage, but this is often a long, expensive and complex process.
10. The Philippines produces and exports more coconuts than any other country in the world.
It is estimated that Filipinos send about 400 million text messages a day, adding up to about 142 billion text messages per year, so they are called the "SMS Capital of the World".
12. The Philippines is the fifth largest English-speaking country in the world, after the United States, India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
About 11% of the Philippine population (more than 11 million people) work overseas. In fact, the Philippines is the world's largest supplier of nurses, with about 25% of all overseas nurses coming from the country.
14. The Philippines was nicknamed the "Land of Servants", with the largest number of domestic workers and the second highest number of domestic workers in the overseas Filipino occupation.
15. The Philippine island of Palawan is breathtaking in its natural beauty.
16. Mayon Volcano is an active volcano located in the southeast of the Philippine island of Luzon, known as the "most perfect cone", and is the most completely contoured volcano in the world.
17. The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras in the Philippines have the largest terraces in the world and the world's largest man-made irrigation system.
18. San Agustin Church, completed in 1607 and located within the ancient walls of Manila's Royal City, is the oldest building in the Philippines.
19. The Jeepney is the product of old-fashioned U.S. military vans, and today they are dressed up in all kinds. In Manila and Cebu, it is a popular form of public transport and is definitely something that everyone should try when visiting the Philippines.
20. Barut (Hairy Egg) is a Filipino food, do you dare to try it? It is possible that the Philippines was introduced by China...
Text: Omid
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