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It comprises
7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
The Philippines
is the world's 12th most populous country with a population
of about 90 million people. Its national economy is the 46th
largest in the world with an estimated 2008 gross domestic
product (GDP) of over US$154.073 billion. There are more than
11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, about 11% of the
total population of the Philippines.
A former
colony of Spain, and the United States, the Philippines is
one of two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia-Pacific,
the other being East Timor. Multiple ethnicities and cultures
are found throughout the islands; there are also followers
of Islam and other religions. Ecologically, the Philippines
is among one of the most megadiverse countries in the world.
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