 Philippines At A Glance
The Philippines was a vital trading center for the Spanish from 1521 until 1898, after which it became an American colony. The Philippines became independent in 1946, and is the third largest English-speaking country in the world.
Strategically located in the Asia Pacific region, the Philippines is readily accessible from the major travel centers of the world.
The Philippines is an archipelago of some 7,107 islands. It has a land area of about 333,000 square kilometers and a coastline of 18,411 kilometers. It is divided into three major island groups: Luzon in the north, Visayas in the center, and Mindanao farther down in the south, with Manila as the capital. ( for map of the Philippines: http://www.gov.ph/aboutphil/images/bigmap.gif)
The climate is generally tropical, with two distinct seasons ranging from dry (between November and May) to rainy (usually from June to October). Average rainfall is about 2,030 millimeters and temperatures ranges from a low of 20 C to a high of 31 C. |
