Geographic

Profile of
The Philippines

• Arman Catalan
• Patrick James Ursua
Fast Fact:
•Official Name: Republic of The Philippines
•The Philippines is an archipelago that comprises 7,641 islands
•Climate:The country has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons-wet and dry.
•Form of Government: Republic
•Capital: Manila
•Population: 110.59 Million (2021)
•Official Language: Filipino (based on Tagalog), English
•Money: Philippine peso
•Area: About 115,831 square miles (300,000 square kilometer)
Location

•The Philippines is located in Southeast

Asia, on the eastern rim of the Asiatic
Mediterranean. It is bounded in the west
by the South China Sea; in the east by
the Pacific Ocean; in the south by the
Sulu and Celebes Seas; and in the north
by the Bashi Channel.  Its capital and
main port of entry is Manila. Cebu,
which is some 562 kilometers to the
south of Manila, is the second largest
international gateway to the country.
• Language
The national language is Filipino, which is based on the language of Tagalog,
although there are at least one or two dialects spoken in every region. There are
more than 87 languages and dialects in the country. English is considered an
official language as it is both spoken and understood throughout the Philippines
and used in business, government and schools.
• Religion
More than 80% of the population is Roman Catholic. Other major religions
include Muslim and Protestant.
• Literacy
The literacy rate in the country is 92.6%
• Monetary Unit
The unit of currency is the Philippine peso. The rate of the peso to the US
dollar has been fluctuating between P45-P54 to the US dollar. 
• PEOPLE & CULTURE
Filipinos are predominantly of Malay descent, frequently with Chinese and sometimes
American or Spanish ancestry.
Many Filipinos have Spanish names because of a 19th-century Spanish decree that
required them to use Spanish surnames, or last names. Parents often name their children
after the saint whose feast day was on the day of their birth.
Elementary education in the Philippines starts at age seven, is required by law, and lasts
for six years. Secondary education begins at age 13 and lasts for four years; undergraduate
college instruction typically is four years.
• NATURE
The islands are home to many species of flowering plants and ferns, including hundreds of
species of orchids. Tall grasses have replaced the forests, which have disappeared due to logging,
mining, and development.
The Philippines are inhabited by more than 200 species of mammals, including monkeys,
squirrels, lemurs, mice, pangolins, chevrotains, mongooses, civet cats, and red and brown deer,
among others.
The binturong, or Asian bear cat, was once prominent, but now this furry mammal is vulnerable.
The tamaraw, a species of small water buffalo found only on Mindoro, is critically endangered.
Hundreds of species of birds live in the Philippines, either for all or part of the year, including
peacocks, pheasants, doves, parrots, kingfishers, sunbirds, tailorbirds, weaverbirds, and hornbills.
The endangered Philippine eagle, which eats monkeys, is barely surviving deforestation.
GOVERNMENT
• Filipinos elect their president. The president is the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the
armed forces and serves a six-year term.
• The economy is based on agriculture, light industry, and services. The country produces bananas,
rice, coconuts, corn, fish, mangos, pineapples, sugarcane, pork, and beef.
HISTORY
• Ferdinand Magellan first landed in the Philippines in 1521. The name Philippines comes from Philip
II who was the king of Spain during the 16th century when the country became a Spanish colony.
• The Philippines was granted to the United States in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In
1935 the Philippines became self-governing, but their independence was delayed by World War II
and the invasion of Japanese troops.
• The islands were liberated by U.S. forces in 1944-45, and the Republic of the Philippines was
proclaimed in 1946, with a government patterned on that of the United States.
• In 1965 Ferdinand Marcos was elected president. He declared martial law in 1972, which lasted until
1981. After 20 years of rule, Marcos was driven from power in 1986. Corazon Aquino became
president and instituted a period of democratic rule in the country.
Philippines Location
Shape and Size
• Shape • Length
Elongated 1, 851
Archipelago km(1,150mi
• Area les)
115,830 square miles • Width
1,062 km
• Coastline
(660 miles)
22,549 miles/36,829 km
 Surrounding Bodies of Water
• North- Luzon Strait
• East- Philippine Sea
• South- Celebes Sea
• West- Philippine Sea
 Luzon Strait
• The Luzon Strait is approximately 250 kilometers (160 mi) wide containing a number of islands belonging to
the Philippines that are grouped into two: the islands comprising the province of Batanes and the 
Babuyan Islands, which are part of the province of Cagayan. The strait is divided into a number of smaller
channels. The Babuyan Channel separates Luzon from the Babuyan Islands, which is separated from Batanes
by the Balintang Channel. Batanes is separated from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel
• Some of the largest ocean waves in the world, at times over 170 meters in height and stemming from tides
and ocean currents, are found in the north of the strait. These waves or currents are underwater and rarely
break the surface, thus posing no danger to shipping but are sometimes visible to satellites. The oscillation is
largely prompted by a long north–south ridge which covers almost all of the strait, then amplified in the
northern section by a second parallel ridge.[4] The depth of the strait reaches the 3,500 m and 4,000 contours
in north–south trenches in the middle and south-western edge
 Philippine Sea

• The Philippine Sea Plate forms the floor of the Philippine Sea. It subducts under the Philippine Mobile Belt which carries most of
the Philippine archipelago and eastern Taiwan. Between the two plates is the Philippine Trench.
• Another prominent feature of the Philippine Sea is the presence of deep sea trenches, among them the Philippine Trench and the 
Mariana Trench, containing the deepest point on the planet

Location:
The Philippine Sea has the Philippines and Taiwan to the west, Japan to the north, the Marianas to the east and Palau to the south.
Adjacent seas include the Celebes Sea which is separated by Mindanao and smaller islands to the south, the South China Sea which is
separated by Philippines, and the East China Sea which is separated by the Ryukyu Islands.
 Celebes Sea

• The Celebes Sea is a sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago
 and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines. It is bordered on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain,
on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia. It is 420 miles (675 km) north-south
by 520 miles (837 km) east-west. It has a total surface area of 110,000 square miles (280,000 km2). The
maximum depth is 20,300 feet (6,200 m).
• The Celebes Sea is an important sea route for regional trade. The sea is also popular for scuba diving and
luxury ocean cruising.
• The Celebes Sea is known for its pirates. They prey not only on small time fishermen but also giant container
ships. Nowadays, these pirates have high-tech weapons and equipment like radar and GPS navigation devices
and ride on high-speed motorboats. It is the second most pirated body of water after the Gulf of Aden near 
Somalia.
 West Philippine Sea

• West Philippine Sea is the official designation by the Philippine government of

eastern parts of the South China Sea which are included in the 
Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The term is also sometimes incorrectly used to
refer to the South China Sea as a whole
• In September 2012, the Philippine government announced that it would start using
the name to refer to waters west of the Philippines as "West Philippine Sea" in
government maps, other forms of communication and documents
• The maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago are hereby
named as the West Philippine Sea. These areas include the Luzon Sea as well as the
waters around within the adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de
Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.
 Terrain and Points
• Mostly mountainous
• All islands are prone to earthquakes
• Lowest Point- Philippine Sea
• Highest Point- Mount Apo ( 9,691 feet)
The Philippines has the longest irregular
coastline in the
world. 36, 290 km in length.
 Active Volcanoes
• Iraya in Batanes • Hibok hibok in
• Pinatubo in Zambales Camiguin
• Makaturing in Sir Bj
• Taal in Batangas Lanao Ambat
• Apo ni Davao
• Banahaw in Quezon
• Mayon in Albay -
• Bulusan in Sorsogon sipsip

• Kanlaon in Negros
Mayon
Volcano
• One of the famous volcanoes in the world
because of its PERFECT CONICAL
SHAPE.
• Most Active volcano in the Philippines.
• Can be found in the Province of Albay in
Bicol Region, Luzon Philippines
• Derived from the word Magayon
meaning beautiful
• It erupted at least 47 times in the past
500 years
• In 1814, it erupted disastrously,
destroying 5 towns and killed more than
1200 people
Mount Pinatubo
It has been dormant for 611 years
Started to emit fumes on April 3,
1991
Most notorious volcano/Most
destructive eruptions- June 12-15,
1991-
Its ashfall reached as far as Metro
Manila, Palawan, Mindoro and
Cambodia
Taal Volcano
A regular tourist drawer
Known as Volcano island in the lake
It had recorded 34 eruptions
Taal volcano last eruption- January 12, 2020
Worst taal volcano eruption is 1911, one of the worst volcano
disasters
in history; killed 1334 people.
Kanlaon Volcano
• Most Active Volcano in the Central Philippines
• Erupted 30 times since 1819
• Erupted 6 times in 1985
• Erupted in 1989 but unfortunately, this did not cause any distraction
• Last eruption June 18, 2016
Chocolate Hills
• 1,776 hills in Bohol
• During the months of February until May,
these domed-shaped limestone hills turn
chocolate-brown as the grasses withered.
• Considered sometimes as the
“Eight Wonder of the World”
• the Chocolate Hills has been declared as the country's 3rd National Geological
Monument by the National Committee on Geological Sciences on June 18, 1988 in
recognition of its special characteristics, scientific importance, uniqueness, and high
scenic value.
Banaue Rice
Terraces
• The Banaue Rice
Terraces (Tagalog: Hagdan-
hagdang Palayan ng Banawe) also
called Payo, are 2000-year
old terraces that were carved into
the mountains by ancestors of the
indigenous people.
• The terraces are found in the
province of Ifugao.
Hundred
Islands Location- Alaminos Pangasinan
One of the Oldest National Park in the
Philippines
There are 124 islands at low tide and 123 islands
at high tide
One of the most famous tourist attraction in the
Philippines.
National Symbols of the
National Flag
National
Flower-
Sampaguita
2. National Tree- Narra
National Bird
Eagle
National Fish
Bangus
National House
Bahay Kubo
National Fruit

Mango
Other National Symbols
National Leaf
Anahaw
National Animal
Carabao
National Hero
Dr. Jose P. Rizal
Regions And Provinces
• Ilocos Region- (Region I)
Muslim Mindanao(ARMM)
• Cagayan Valley- (Region II)
Region (CAR)
• Central Luzon- (Region III)
Region (NCR)
• CALABARZON- (Region IV-A)
• MIMAROPA- (Region IV-B)
• Bicol Region- (Region V)
• Western Visayas (Region VI)
Central Visayas- (Region VII) Autonomous Region of
Eastern Visayas- (Region VIII) Cordillera Administrative
Zamboanga Peninsula- (Region IX) National Capital
Northern Mindanao- (Region X)
Davao Region- (Region XI)
Soccsksargen- (Region XII)
CARAGA- ( Region XIII)
 The Philippines has claimed many lands
throughout its history. These include the:

Territories •
•
Spratly Islands
Sabah
• Scarborough Shoal
claimed by •
•
Benham Plateau
Palmas

the •
•
Miangas Island
Sangir Islands
• Orchid Island
Philippines •
•
Marianas Islands
Caroline Islands