What Is Philippines?

The Philippines, officially known
as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast
Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands^[10]
in the western Pacific Ocean.

The Philippines is the world's 12th most populous
country, with an estimated population of about 92 million people.^[4][11]
Its national economy is the 47th largest in the world,
with an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP nominal) of
over US$ 168.6 billion (nominal)It is estimated that there are about 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, equivalent to
about 11% of the total population of the Philippines. ^[13]

A former colony of Spain and the United States,
the Philippines is one of two predominantly Roman
Catholic countries in Asia, the other being East Timor.
There are also a number of minority religious groups, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other beliefs. Multiple ethnicities, and cultures
are found throughout the islands. Ecologically,
the Philippines is one of the most diverse countries in the world.