POPULATION 84,525,639
ROMAN CATHOLIC 80 percent
PROTESTANT 10 percent
MUSLIM 5 percent
OTHER 5 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

The Republic of the Philippines consists of 7,100 islands (of which 2,773 are named), with a total land area of 115,707 square miles. It is located a little above the equator in Southeast Asia. Because it is close to China, it has a strategic geographical location. It also sits at the crossroads of world trade routes in the region. The archipelago has rich natural resources such as forests, energy resources, mines yielding gold and other minerals, fisheries, and abundant plant and animal life. It has fertile soil capable of producing large crops of rice, corn, coconut, hemp, tobacco, and other agricultural products. This is why foreign powers were interested in colonizing the islands during various eras. The Philippines acquired their Christian heritage from Spain and the United States. It is the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia.

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