jon448
09-13-2005, 10:32
History: Up until the 16th Century the Philipines were a archipelago of islands with no true common background. The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. Between 1898 and 1901 the Phillipino natives and Americans fought in the Philipine-American War. 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected President and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during WWII, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Philippines attained their independence. The 21-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts, which prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992 and his administration was marked by greater stability and progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998, but was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and widespread demonstrations led to his ouster. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six-year term in May 2004. In June of this year there have been accusations of massive cover-ups and electoral fraud concerning the 2004 elections.
Area: Slightly Larger then Arizona, 300,000 sq miles
Capital: Manila
Bordering Countries: None, no land borders of any kind
Climate: Tropical, with a Monsoon season in the Northeast from November to April and in the Southwest from May to October.
Terrain: Mountainous interior and coastal lowlands.
Enviromental Issues: Uncontrolled Deforestation, Soil Erosion, Air and Water Pollution
Natural Hazards: Flooding
National Government: A representative republic with a constitution based on the U.S.
International Relations: A founding and active member of the U.N. Currently in a dispute with Taiwan, PROC, Vietnam and Malaysia over the Spratly Islands, a rich Oil and Natural Gas island Chain. The government is also having problems with Muslim and Communists seperatists in the southwest of the Archipelago.
Population: 87 Million, growth rate of 1.84%
Ethnic Groups: 80% of the population are descended from people who speak Austronesian languages. Their descendants form the vast majority of the Philippines' population. Twelve major native groups descended from them. The largest and most prominent of these groups are the Tagalog (24%), Sugbuhanon (24%), and the Ilocano (11%), together with the Hiligaynons, Bicolanos, Waraynons, Kapampangans. Pangasinenses, Kinaray-as, Maranaos, Maguindanaos, and Tausugs. Many minor groups, such as the Cordillera and Mindanao hilltribes have mixtures of Austronesian and Nesiot (Primitive Caucasoid) blood, which explains their white physiognomy. Further migrations from Formosa gave rise to the Ivatans of Batanes, and from Malaysia came the Badjaos of Tawi-Tawi. Most are Roman Catholic Christians, although some are Sunni Muslims.
10% of the country's population are Chinese. The ethnic Chinese are divided into three primary ethnolinguistic groups: Hokkien (also called Min, Lan-nang, and Hoklo), Cantonese (also called Yueh), and Shanghainese (also called Wu). They control 60-70% of the country's economy, and form a significant portion of the country's elite. Also, the Chinese community in the Philippines are divided on the basis of immigration date. Many intermarriages among the Chinese and the native Filipinos have produced a sizeable Chinese Mestizo group. Most are Protestant Christians. Most Chinese and Chinese Mestizos live in Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga.
4% of Filipinos are Whites, being Europeans, Americans, or Australians. The most significant of all Europeans are the Spaniards, descendants of the former colonizers and conquistadores of the Philippines. They have intermingled freely with the natives, and the offspring of Filipino-Spanish people are called Mestizos. The Spanish people of the Philippines still control a significant part of the country's economy and form the traditional elite. Other Europeans include Basques, Catalans, Spanish-Jews, Dutchmen, Germans, British, Irish, Italians, and Polish people. They have also intermingled with the native Filipinos. Most Americans in the Philippines are either expatriates, businessmen, or missionaries. Many have intermarried with the Filipinos. There are currently 180,000 Americans in Manila alone. American mestizos, or people of mixed Filipino and American parentage mostly live in Manila, Angeles, and Olongapo.
3% of all Filipinos belong to the Indian race. Most are Sindhis or Punjabis. Indians in the Philippines engage in business and trade affairs. Sindhis form the upper class of Indians and Punjabis form the lower class. Most are either Hindu or Sikh. Virtually all Filipinos of Indian descent live in Manila or in provincial centers.
2% belong to various Asian ethnicites, including Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Many expatriate Japanese have assumed residency status and have married Filipina wives. Koreans, of which the vast majority are students are mostly semi-permanent residents, and most return to Korea after finishing studies here in the Philippines. Vietnamese, descendants of the boat-people refugees of the Vietnam War, have remained a separate entity in reference to the Filipinos. They are in a majority in a certain township in Palawan, and many of them have mixed Vietnamese-American parentage.
1% of Filipinos are Negritos, descendants of people from the Andaman islands who came to the archipelago thousands of years ago. They are the aborigines of the Philippines.
Languages: 170 various tribal languages are spoken, however English and Tagalog are the official languages.
Currency: The Phillipine peso which has lost over 99% of its value since 1949.
GDP: $409,445 million, per capita $4770.
Economy: In 1998 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 0.6% in 1998 from 5% in 1997, but recovered to about 3% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. . Heavy debt (public debt at 77% of GDP), is hampering efforts to improve the economic situation. Budget allocation for servicing of debt is higher than the budget for the Department of Education and for the military combined.
The strategy includes improving infrastructure, overhauling the tax system to bolster government revenues, furthering deregulation and privatisation of the economy, and increasing trade integration with the region. Prospects for the future depend heavily on the economic performance of the two major trading partners, the United States and Japan, and a more accountable administration and consistent government policies.
Military: The Armed Forces of the Philipines or AFP was founded in 1935, and was organized by General Douglas MacArthur. The AFP consists of an Army, Navy and Air Force with the Navy being divided into 2 branches, the Marines and the Philipine Fleet. There are 2 military academies, and in 1998 the budget was $995 Million.
Currently the Chief of Staff, General Efren F. Abu, is in the process of retiring after serving at the post for only 10 months although General Abu has brought about great reform within the corrupt Philipine military.
Sources:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rp.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Peso
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_the_Philippines
http://www.afp.mil.ph/
Area: Slightly Larger then Arizona, 300,000 sq miles
Capital: Manila
Bordering Countries: None, no land borders of any kind
Climate: Tropical, with a Monsoon season in the Northeast from November to April and in the Southwest from May to October.
Terrain: Mountainous interior and coastal lowlands.
Enviromental Issues: Uncontrolled Deforestation, Soil Erosion, Air and Water Pollution
Natural Hazards: Flooding
National Government: A representative republic with a constitution based on the U.S.
International Relations: A founding and active member of the U.N. Currently in a dispute with Taiwan, PROC, Vietnam and Malaysia over the Spratly Islands, a rich Oil and Natural Gas island Chain. The government is also having problems with Muslim and Communists seperatists in the southwest of the Archipelago.
Population: 87 Million, growth rate of 1.84%
Ethnic Groups: 80% of the population are descended from people who speak Austronesian languages. Their descendants form the vast majority of the Philippines' population. Twelve major native groups descended from them. The largest and most prominent of these groups are the Tagalog (24%), Sugbuhanon (24%), and the Ilocano (11%), together with the Hiligaynons, Bicolanos, Waraynons, Kapampangans. Pangasinenses, Kinaray-as, Maranaos, Maguindanaos, and Tausugs. Many minor groups, such as the Cordillera and Mindanao hilltribes have mixtures of Austronesian and Nesiot (Primitive Caucasoid) blood, which explains their white physiognomy. Further migrations from Formosa gave rise to the Ivatans of Batanes, and from Malaysia came the Badjaos of Tawi-Tawi. Most are Roman Catholic Christians, although some are Sunni Muslims.
10% of the country's population are Chinese. The ethnic Chinese are divided into three primary ethnolinguistic groups: Hokkien (also called Min, Lan-nang, and Hoklo), Cantonese (also called Yueh), and Shanghainese (also called Wu). They control 60-70% of the country's economy, and form a significant portion of the country's elite. Also, the Chinese community in the Philippines are divided on the basis of immigration date. Many intermarriages among the Chinese and the native Filipinos have produced a sizeable Chinese Mestizo group. Most are Protestant Christians. Most Chinese and Chinese Mestizos live in Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga.
4% of Filipinos are Whites, being Europeans, Americans, or Australians. The most significant of all Europeans are the Spaniards, descendants of the former colonizers and conquistadores of the Philippines. They have intermingled freely with the natives, and the offspring of Filipino-Spanish people are called Mestizos. The Spanish people of the Philippines still control a significant part of the country's economy and form the traditional elite. Other Europeans include Basques, Catalans, Spanish-Jews, Dutchmen, Germans, British, Irish, Italians, and Polish people. They have also intermingled with the native Filipinos. Most Americans in the Philippines are either expatriates, businessmen, or missionaries. Many have intermarried with the Filipinos. There are currently 180,000 Americans in Manila alone. American mestizos, or people of mixed Filipino and American parentage mostly live in Manila, Angeles, and Olongapo.
3% of all Filipinos belong to the Indian race. Most are Sindhis or Punjabis. Indians in the Philippines engage in business and trade affairs. Sindhis form the upper class of Indians and Punjabis form the lower class. Most are either Hindu or Sikh. Virtually all Filipinos of Indian descent live in Manila or in provincial centers.
2% belong to various Asian ethnicites, including Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Many expatriate Japanese have assumed residency status and have married Filipina wives. Koreans, of which the vast majority are students are mostly semi-permanent residents, and most return to Korea after finishing studies here in the Philippines. Vietnamese, descendants of the boat-people refugees of the Vietnam War, have remained a separate entity in reference to the Filipinos. They are in a majority in a certain township in Palawan, and many of them have mixed Vietnamese-American parentage.
1% of Filipinos are Negritos, descendants of people from the Andaman islands who came to the archipelago thousands of years ago. They are the aborigines of the Philippines.
Languages: 170 various tribal languages are spoken, however English and Tagalog are the official languages.
Currency: The Phillipine peso which has lost over 99% of its value since 1949.
GDP: $409,445 million, per capita $4770.
Economy: In 1998 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 0.6% in 1998 from 5% in 1997, but recovered to about 3% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. . Heavy debt (public debt at 77% of GDP), is hampering efforts to improve the economic situation. Budget allocation for servicing of debt is higher than the budget for the Department of Education and for the military combined.
The strategy includes improving infrastructure, overhauling the tax system to bolster government revenues, furthering deregulation and privatisation of the economy, and increasing trade integration with the region. Prospects for the future depend heavily on the economic performance of the two major trading partners, the United States and Japan, and a more accountable administration and consistent government policies.
Military: The Armed Forces of the Philipines or AFP was founded in 1935, and was organized by General Douglas MacArthur. The AFP consists of an Army, Navy and Air Force with the Navy being divided into 2 branches, the Marines and the Philipine Fleet. There are 2 military academies, and in 1998 the budget was $995 Million.
Currently the Chief of Staff, General Efren F. Abu, is in the process of retiring after serving at the post for only 10 months although General Abu has brought about great reform within the corrupt Philipine military.
Sources:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rp.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Peso
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_the_Philippines
http://www.afp.mil.ph/