Philippines

about Philippines

Capital: Manila

Population: 114 million

Official language: Filipino and English

Location: South-eastern Asia, an extensive group of islands between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam

Climate: Tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

Main Religions: Roman Catholic 79.5% and Muslim 6% (2015 est.)

Largest Age Group: 25-54 years: 37.37%

Population Density: Population concentrated where good farmlands lie; highest concentrations are northwest and south-central Luzon, the south-eastern extension of Luzon, and the islands of the Visayan Sea, particularly Cebu and Negros; Manila is home to one-eighth of the entire national population

Natural hazards: Astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms each year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis