Philippines Tourist Information

Geography and Location

The Philippines is one of the largest island groups in the world with its 7,107 islands and islets it lies off the southwest coast of the Asian mainland between Taiwan and Borneo. 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 strategic position finds the Philippines at the crossroads of international travel lanes.

It has a total land area of 300,000 sq.km and a coastline of 34,000 km, the longest in the world.

Scenic Spot

Boracay Beach		Banaue - 8th Wonders of the World
Chocolate Hills		Mayon Volcano - Perfect Cone

Culture

Manila is the seat of administration and the center of commerce and industry, culture, the arts, and education. It is the largest and most important city in the Philippines. It is also one of the loveliest and most exciting cities in Asia. The city of Manila has been combined with other major cities and municipalities to form what is now popularly known as Metro Manila, which has a total area of 60 sq. km.

The Philippines has three major islands – Luzon, the largest island where the capital of the Philippines is situated; Visayas, known for its fine beaches and idyllic coves; and Mindanao, whose exotic forests make it an irresistible haven for nature lovers.

Climate

The Philippines is normally warm with abundant rainfall and gentle winds. There are three pronounced seasons: wet to rainy from June to October; cool and dry weather from November to February; and hot and dry weather from March to May..

Language

There are 11 cultural and racial groups, each with its own language. Most Filipinos are bilingual, with English as the basic language in business, government, schools, and everyday communication. Pilipino, based primarily on the Tagalog language, is the national language; there are 11 languages and 87 dialects in the archipelago. Aside from English, Spanish is another foreign language spoken fluently by a number of Filipinos along with Arabic, Chinese, and Nippongo.