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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 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$327.2 billion (PPP).
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. There are also a number of minority
religious groups, including Islam, Buddhism and
Hinduism. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are
found throughout the islands. Ecologically, the
Philippines is one of the most diverse countries
in the world
The
name Philippines was derived from King Philip
II of Spain in the 16th century. Spanish explorer
Ruy López de Villalobos used the name Las Islas
Filipinas (The Philippine
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Islands)
in honour of the Prince of Asturias (Spain) during his
expedition to the Philippines, originally referring
to the islands of Leyte, and Samar. The name itself
is Greek, and can be traced to the name of the father
of Alexander the Great, Philipp II of Macedon, Greek:
F philos (meaning beloved, loving).Despite the presence
of other names, the name Filipinas (Philippines) was
eventually adopted as the name of the entire archipelago.
The
official name of the country, however, changed throughout
the course of Philippine history. During the Philippine
Revolution, the Philippines was officially called República
Filipina or Philippine Republic. From the period of
the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American
War, until the Commonwealth period, United States colonial
authorities referred to the Philippines as the "Philippine
Islands", a translation of the original Spanish name.
It was during in the American period that the name Philippines
began to appear, a name that was adopted as its current
official name.
The
Philippines has a presidential, unitary form of government
(with some modification; there is one autonomous region
largely free from the national government), where the
President functions as both head of state, and head
of government, and is commander-in-chief of the armed
forces. The president is elected by popular vote to
a single six year term, during which time she or he
appoints and presides over the cabinet.
The
bicameral Congress is composed of a Senate, serving
as the upper house whose members are elected nationally
to a six year term, and a House of Representatives serving
as the lower house whose members are elected to a three
year term, and are elected from both legislative districts,
and through sectoral representation.
The
judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, composed
of a Chief Justice as its presiding officer and fourteen
associate justices, all appointed by the President from
nominations submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council.
Attempts to amend the constitution to either a federal,
unicameral or parliamentary form of government have
been satisfactory since the Ramos administration.
The
Philippines is a founding, and active member of the
United Nations since its inception on October 24, 1945,
and is a founding member of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines is also a member
of the East Asia Summit (EAS), an active player in the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Latin
Union, and a member of the Group of 24. The country
is a major non-NATO ally of the United States, but also
a member of the Non-Aligned Movement.
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