FACTS
•  Capital: Manila
•  Total area: 300,000 km2
•  Official languages: Filipino, English
•  Current President: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
•  Currency: Peso
•  Temperature: ranges from 79-90 degrees F
•  Population: 92 million (2009 EST.)
•  Natural resources: timber, petroleum, nickel,
cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
•  Geography: The Philippines are made up of
roughly 7,100 islands. The two main islands are
Luzon, which is located in the north, and
Mindanao, which is located in the south. The
topography consists of mostly mountains and
inactive volcanoes.
FOOD
•  Filipinos do not consider it a meal if rice is not
served.
•  Plain steamed rice is the basis of the diet. Three
crops a year are harvested to provide enough rice
for the population, and the government keeps
surpluses stored for times of drought.
•  Salt water and freshwater fish and shellfish are
eaten daily, served either fresh or salted
•  Filipino food is not spicy. All food is cooked on gas
burners or wood or charcoal fires and is allowed to
get cold before it is eaten.
•  Fruits are abundant all year. Several kinds of
banana are eaten, including red and green varieties.
Mangoes, the national fruit, are sweet and juicy.
•  Vegetables are included as part of a soup or stew.
Green beans and potatoes are commonly eaten
foods.
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CLIMATE AND SEASONS
Due to the consistent sea breezes the
climate is very tropical. The seasons are
categorized into three periods:
•  June-September: the rainy season
•  October-February: cool and dry season
•  March-May: hot and dry
TROPICAL STORM THELMA
•  The deadliest tropical cyclone in Philippine history
•  On November 5, 1991, Thelma struck the Island of Semar with a peak
wind of 80km/h.
•  The storm then continued westward, weakening as it encountered
substantial wind shear over the South China Sea. Thelma’s reign ended
on November 8th after it struck Vietnam and soon dissipated.
•  It produced an average of six inches of rain in most areas with a
maximum of 29 inches of rain in the town of Manila.
•  The death toll was approximated at 6,000 with the majority of deaths in
one city – Ormoc City, which represents approximately 3.5% of its
population.
HISTORY/NATIONAL IDENTITY
•  Social and political organization of the population in
the widely scattered islands evolved into a generally
common pattern.
• Only the permanent-field rice farmers of northern
Luzon had any concept of territoriality.
•  Within the barangay (the basic unit of settlement), the
broad social divisions consisted of nobles, freemen;
and a group described before the Spanish period as
dependents.
•  Dependents included several categories
with differing status: landless agricultural
workers; those who had lost freeman status
because of indebtedness or punishment for
crime; and slaves, most of whom appear to
have been war captives.
ECONOMY
The Philippine economy - a mixture of agriculture, light
industry, and supporting services - deteriorated as a
result of spillover from the Asian financial crisis and
poor weather conditions.
•  Growth fell to about -0.5% in 1998 from 5% in 1997,
but recovered to about 3% in 1999 and 3.6% in 2000.
•  The government has promised to continue its
economic reforms to help the Philippines match the
pace of development in the newly industrialized
countries of East Asia. The strategy includes improving
infrastructure, overhauling the tax system to bolster
government revenues, moving toward further
deregulation and privatization of the economy, and
increasing trade integration with the region.
Sources:
Baringer, Sally E."The Philippines." <http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/The-Philippines.htm1> 1 December 2009.
Greenpeace. “Crisis or Opportunity: Climate Change Impacts and the Philippines.”
"Philippines." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2009. Web. 1 Dec. 2009 <http://www.search.eb.com.prxy5.ursus.maine.edu/ebc/article-9375123>.
"Philippines Climate." Country Guide-Philippines. World Travel Guide. Web. 1 Dec. 2009. <http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/225/climate/South-East-Asia/Philippines.html>.
"Philippines Culture and History." May 12 1995. <http://www.univie.ac.at/voelkerkunde/apsis/aufi/culhist.htm> 1 December 2009.
"Philippines." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 07 Dec. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/456399/Philippines>.
"Philippines." The World Factbook. CIA. Web. 02 Dec. 2009. <https://
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/countrytemplate_rp.html>.
World Bank 2005.