Philippines. Philippines: history, population, government and political system

Republic of the Philippines - Island state V South-East Asia, located in the Western Pacific Ocean, is part of Malay Archipelago. Included in the zone of the Pacific volcanic ring of fire.

The weather on the west and east coasts of the same island can be different! In the descriptions of popular tourist places that you will find on the links, this will be mentioned separately, but for now it is enough to know that the Philippine Meteorological Service distinguishes four types of climate (on the clickable map on the right you can see the distribution of types by territory):

• 1 - dry season from November to April. Rainy season the rest of the time.
• 2 - there is no pronounced dry season. The maximum rainfall is from December to February. Minimum rainfall from March to May.
• 3 - similar to the first type, but the dry season is much shorter, lasting one to three months, falls on the period from December to February or from March to May.
• 4 - precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year. Similar to the second type, except that there is no specific month when it is supposed to be rainless.

For the western part of the country, the first type of climate is characteristic, for the central - the third, and for the eastern - the fourth and second.

In many countries of the region, traveling during the rainy season is not a global problem or disaster, but the Philippines is another matter. Around the same time as the rainy season, there is a chance of a typhoon coming. This can result in floods, cancellation of flights and ferry services. It is worth considering this, especially if you are going on vacation for two weeks or buy tickets from island to island in advance. Most often, typhoons come in August. The further north, the more likely this event is, especially for the main island of the country - Luzon - up to three typhoons a year. In the central part of the country - one or two. On the very southern island of Mindanao, the probability of a typhoon arriving tends to zero.

Cities and regions

The Philippines is an island nation unique in its beauty and culture. For many centuries, some rulers have replaced others here. The islands have been under the influence of European conquerors for many years, but nevertheless, amazing original traditions of local natives have been preserved in their culture.

And yet, despite the fact that the Philippines has long been considered a true paradise for tourists, the islands are famous for the fact that they have preserved the unique, pristine beauty of nature, which can be admired for an unlimited amount of time. Below are links to the regions of the Philippines, following which you will read more detailed information about a particular region.

• Palawan (and separately about Coron)
• Northern Mindanao (and separately about Camigin)

Sights of the Philippines

Philippines - extremely multifaceted country, here is how natural beauty, as well as man-made sights left for us by the Spanish conquistadors or the Americans, or already by the Filipinos themselves. We decided to break them down geographically - the capital of the country, the most popular tourist island of Cebu and the rest of the country.

Other attractions in the Philippines:

Where to go in the Philippines

Attractions

Museums and galleries

Entertainment

Parks and recreation areas

Leisure

Transport

Private guides in the Philippines

Russian private guides will help you get acquainted with the Philippines in more detail.
Registered on the Experts.Tourister.Ru project.

Things to do

The Philippines is of interest to divers all over the world due to its coral reefs, shipwrecks, picturesque underwater islands and sparse bays. Diving enthusiasts can always find here interesting places. As a rule, small boats are used for diving, the length of which is no more than 25 m in length. They are equipped with special balancing floats - outriggers.

The most developed for diving is the Tubbatah area, at the same time, due to the increased interest in diving, this area is actively developing. Subic Bay attracts divers with its shipwrecks. This place has been available for diving since 1992. Previously, the bay was the location of the American naval base. Coron Bay is also interesting for divers. Here you can see the sunken Japanese ships that were sunk during the Second World War. The revenge of the Americans for Pearl Harbor turned into the bombing of a huge number of ships.

Most Philippine reefs have a shallow top. It is covered with barrel-shaped sponges, various corals, sprawling sea fans and hydroids. In all this diversity you can see a lot of marine life. The most common fish are caesio, pennant fish, Moorish idols, angel fish. Among the underwater living creatures you can also meet large marine life - sharks, turtles, rays, cave nurse sharks. Also during the dive, you can see nudibranch clams, whitetip reef sharks, sea cucumbers, spiny lobsters, sea squirts, feathery worms and starfish.

Many dive sites in the Philippines can be reached by plane. Diving enthusiasts should not forget about decompression sickness when flying after diving. Doctors recommend taking a break between air travel and multiple dives for at least a day.

• Detailed material: diving in the Philippines

Getting around in the Philippines

As for moving within the country, between the islands, the choice is limited only to ferries and domestic flights.

Air traffic

The main companies engaged in air transportation are, and. The cost of their flights, in general, differs little, they all fall under the budget category. For example, Cebu Pacific offers ticket prices to Boracay (Kalibo) from 200 pesos, to Palawan (Puerto Princess) from 800 pesos, to Cebu from 1,100 pesos, and to Bohol from 1,600 pesos.

Main tourist destinations The Philippines are considered Boracay, Palawan, Bohol and Cebu. Any of these places can be reached both from Manila and from other islands. It is worth noting that, due to the remote location of some airports, you will have to spend additional time on the road by land and / or use the ferry. So, for example, to get to Boracay (from Manila), you need to fly either to Caticlan (upon arrival you will only need to take a ferry to Boracay Island and in 15-20 minutes you will be there), or in Kalibo (in this case, you will first need to get to Caticlan, where you can transfer to the ferry). If your goal is Cebu, then the final destination will be about. Mactan, where Cebu Mactan Airport is located, it is not difficult to get to Cebu from there, as there are bridges between the islands.

As for Fr. Palawan, then its airports are based in the cities of Puerto Princesa and El Nido, it is worth choosing between them considering where you plan to stay on vacation. To get to Bohol to see the famous chocolate hills, you can take direct flights from both Manila and, for example, from Cebu - the closest popular islands to Bohol. The flight time between the islands is from 30 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on the direction.

You can view the schedule of flights within the Philippines and their cost, as well as purchase a ticket at the lowest price using our page.

ferry service

Absolutely all the islands are interconnected by ferry service, which is perfect for those who are afraid of flying or want to save money. It is worth considering that ferries are often delayed or canceled due to bad weather (as well as flights). The schedule changes regularly for each direction, so the best option is to arrive at the pier in the morning, as ferries run, for the most part, until 6-7 hours, 3-6 times a day, depending on destination directions.

An approximate schedule can be found on the website, where, in addition to everything, the phones and official websites of most ferry companies involved in the Philippines are listed. You can also use the site, where navigation around the islands and piers is quite convenient, by selecting the one you need, you will see the schedule.

Do not forget that the schedule is indicative, as well as the fact that it is best to buy the cheapest tickets, because the 3rd class seats are located under a canopy on the open deck, and the 1st class is in the hold. Ferry prices range from 250 to 500 pesos for a non-air-conditioned ride, at the most budget-friendly regular ferry locations. And from 600 to 1000 pesos with all amenities, on high-speed boats.

Philippine cuisine

Filipino cuisine is primarily associated with rice, fish, seafood, meat and vegetable dishes, which are distinguished by their spiciness and pungency unusual for a European. Most of the dishes are fairly quick to prepare. Eating is a little different from that customary in Russian life: in the Philippines, snacks are relied on first, followed by soups and hot dishes with a side dish, which is rice with vegetables. The end of the meal ends with a local drink and dessert, which, for example, can be soufflé, jelly or ice cream. Traditionally, people here eat mainly with their hands, but in many restaurants tourists can also be offered cutlery that is familiar to everyone. And now let's get acquainted with the dishes of Filipino cuisine in more detail.

Rice in the Philippines, as in many Asian countries, can be called one of the main national dishes. Rice, which is also referred to here as "white gold", is used in most local dishes. Boiled slightly salted rice in Philippine cuisine is used both as a popular side dish served with fish, meat, poultry or seafood, or simply instead of bread. In the Philippines, rice can be eaten as a porridge with garlic and spices, or added cold to salads. Even desserts here are not complete without rice - tourists can try rice cakes and sweets. Rice flour is used to prepare siomai - fish dumplings paired with vegetables in a sweet and sour peanut sauce. Fried rice noodles with meat, seafood or vegetables is called pansit. And this is only a small part of the Filipino dishes, in the preparation of which rice is involved.

Along with rice, the most important ingredients of Philippine cuisine are fish and seafood. Thanks to geographic location states, there is big variety sea ​​life. Most often in the Philippines you can find dishes prepared from fish such as trout, marlin, tuna, mackerel, bangus milkfish, sea bass paw-paw, tilapia, catfish, mackerel, shark and stingray. Among other marine life, shrimp, mussels, oysters, octopuses, crabs and squids are common here.

So what dishes are prepared from these marine representatives? While spending time in the Philippine Islands, you can try bagoong fermented salted shrimp, fish balls in vinegar sauce, pinakbet shrimp paste, broth with the addition of shiniganga clams, mackerel in coconut milk with various kinilow-on-tanquinka spices. One of the most popular varieties of fish in Filipino cuisine is lapu-lapu, which is a type of sea bass that is often steamed. After cooking, the fillet is carefully separated from the bones, after which it is served with a side dish.

Fish or seafood dishes can be found absolutely everywhere: from a restaurant to small cafe. In luxurious restaurants, you can taste real gourmet dishes with dozens of different ingredients and local specialty sauces. Fish dishes can also be served with calamansi lemon slices, unripe papaya or spicy sauce, herbs and rice as an appetizer. In some coastal cafes and restaurants, guests can cook a dish of seafood brought by the tourists themselves. At home, fish is mainly steamed or grilled here, and served with rice or vegetables on the table.

In the Philippines, meat dishes are no less popular than fish dishes. Due to mixing culinary traditions here you can find both familiar European or Asian dishes, as well as traditional local dishes. Among the local specialties, you can taste "adobo" - pieces of chicken, pork or even squid stewed in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar, well flavored with pepper, garlic and bay leaf. No less popular is "lechon" - stuffed and roasted on a spit suckling pig or "krispi patu" - pork leg fried with garlic until crispy golden brown. Quite an unusual meat masterpiece is “chicharon”, which is a pork skin fried to a crisp. Also here you can try meat rolls "Morcon" and "Embutido". If this is still not enough, then you can really move on to exotic dishes by trying, for example, “kare-kare” - buffalo tail soup; "carabao" - a dish of buffalo meat, fried on coals; "torta" - an omelette made from eggs and minced meat or "asso" - a dish of dog meat.

Traditional Filipino sauces include sweet and sour, soy and vinegar sauces. Patis is a popular sauce obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of bagoong shrimp paste. Porridge "arros caldo" is a very popular dish served with patis among tourists. On the dinner table, patis often replaces salt. In addition to sauces, one of the key ingredients is vinegar, which exists here in many varieties. Food in the Philippines is cooked mostly in palm oil, without intensive heat treatment, unlike other Asian countries.

One of the final stages of the meal is dessert, which, as you might guess, is mainly prepared from local fruits: bananas, pineapples, oranges, guava, mango, papaya, calamansi, ube and others. Salads, sauces, jams are made from them, they are added to cakes, pastries, ice cream, soufflé or jelly. In addition to fruits, the familiar eggs, flour and gelatin are used in desserts, as well as coconut milk, brown sugar, sweet corn and all the same rice. Among the most popular desserts, it is worth noting such desserts as "halo-halo" - ice cream made from a mixture of the pulp of various fruits, crushed ice and condensed milk; "leche" - fruit pie; "puto" and "bibinka" - rice cakes; "ginataan" - a dessert made from fruits and coconut milk; durian sweets and fried bananas drizzled with sweet sauce. If you want to try something else unusual, then you should try "balut" - this is a boiled egg, inside of which there is a duckling embryo.

Eating, perhaps, in all cuisines of the world ends with some kind of drink. Among non-alcoholic drinks in the Philippines, lemonades, freshly squeezed juices, buco coconut milk, iced tea and hot baraco coffee, prepared according to local recipes, are very popular. From alcoholic drinks, tourists can be advised to locally produced beer, Tanduay rum, as well as lombonac palm wine and tuba wine made from fermented coconut milk.

Connection

Safety

Filipinos are a good-natured and calm people. But, like in every locality, the Philippines has its own peculiarities of behavior.

When planning to visit the Philippines, every tourist should take into account the fact that this country has a high level of theft, especially major cities, but in rural areas this is out of the question. Everything is quiet and calm there. Favorite chip local residents is begging for "presents" from the guests of the country. So you need to be ready for such a turn. However, the Filipinos do not show strong perseverance. In general, the local population is distinguished by friendly behavior towards guests from other countries, amazing cheerfulness and famous slowness, about which there are whole legends.

With unfamiliar, albeit good-natured, people you need to be careful. There are many small scammers and pickpockets here. You need to watch your things and not rush to "free" food and drinks, so as not to become a victim of a "divorce".

If you overlooked the things and they were stolen, then you should contact the embassy. But hoping that things will be found is not an option. So it's better to be vigilant in advance.

The last ten years in the Philippines, there has been an increase in crime. A difficult criminal situation has developed not only in the capital of the state, Manila, but also in almost all large cities. Armed attacks on tourists followed by robbery are far from uncommon. To minimize the risk of such a situation, tourists should not roam the streets after dark, especially alone.

It's no secret that the Philippines is considered the mecca of sex tourism. Prostitution is set on a grand scale here, and children's simply thrives. In the center of Manila, dubious comrades are ready to offer guests more than one catalog with girls for every taste and color. In order not to be in a delicate situation and not get a bag of troubles, immediately go away from such businessmen.

To provide public order in the Philippines, the police are involved. She exercises control over what is happening imperceptibly, but carefully. They treat tourists with special trepidation, although at times it seems that they are doing it too intrusively.

In order for Filipinos to treat you well, you need to treat them the same way. Etiquette and tolerance even in such remote places nobody canceled.

If you quarreled with a Filipino, then try to settle everything. Did not work out? Then just leave. Shouting won't help matters, especially with phlegmatic Filipinos.

Also, you can not ignore some domestic security points. Tourists are advised to avoid drinking unboiled water until brushing their teeth. In addition, it is necessary to avoid eating thermally unprocessed foods (fish, meat, milk, and so on) with the exception of fruits. They are easy enough to wash and peel.

In other aspects, security in the Philippines is at a good level. Therefore, if you adhere to elementary precautions and norms of behavior, then rest in this country will be safe.

Many islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean just above the equator line are the Philippines. They are located in the Malay Archipelago, and in total, more than 7,100 islands are known to geographers, over which the flag of the Philippines is raised. Tours to the country are gaining more and more popularity, because few places can offer such a variety of recreation options to a sophisticated traveler. When asked what seas are in the Philippines, travel agents do not spare enthusiastic epithets, calling them the most beautiful and warmest.

Republic of the Thousand Islands

All these islands drift in the Pacific Ocean, but the question of which sea washes the Philippines can be given a more detailed answer. South part The archipelago is given over to the power of the Sulawesi Sea, the eastern one is washed by the Philippine Sea, and in the west you can swim in the South China Sea. northern islands separated from Taiwan by the small Bashi Strait, and in the southwest the Philippines and Malaysia are separated by the Sulu Sea. The water temperature on the beaches of the country, depending on the location of an island, ranges from +26 to +32 degrees.

• Max Depth the South China Sea - 5.5 km, the Sulawesi Sea - 6.2 km, and the Strait of Malacca - just over 100 meters. By the way, it is this strait that connects the Pacific and Indian oceans and is just as important a section of sea routes as the Suez or panama canals.
• The Philippine Sea belongs to the inter-island and is the second largest in the world. Its area exceeds 5.7 million square meters. km.
• The most deep point The world ocean is located east of the Philippine Sea. famous Mariana Trench has a record low mark of almost 11 kilometers.
• The salinity of the Philippine Sea exceeds 34 ppm, and in southern regions reaches 35 ppm.
• The Sulu Sea, despite its small size, can “boast” of sufficient depths. The most low point here is located at the level of 5576 meters.
• coral atoll Tubbataha in the southern part of the Sulu Sea is protected by UNESCO as part of the world heritage.

beach holiday

Tourists prefer the seas of the Philippines, because the local beaches are perfectly clean, the sea is beautiful, and natural attractions untouched by civilization look a particularly pleasant background. White sand and turquoise waters in the country of a thousand islands are spectacular companions for wonderful photo shoots, and solid waves and coral reefs are a great reason to visit the southern seas for surfers and divers.

Republic of the Philippines(Tagalog: Republika ng Pilipinas), or Philippines(Pilipinas) is a state in Southeast Asia. Consists of many islands located in the Pacific Ocean between Indonesia and Taiwan.

Geographical position

The state of the Philippines is Philippine Islands which are part of the Malay Archipelago. The largest of more than 7100 islands belonging to the Philippines are Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Panay, Palawan, Negros, Mindoro, Leyte, Bohol, Cebu. The length of the Philippine archipelago from north to south is about 2000 km, from west to east - 900 km. In the west, the islands are washed by the South China Sea, in the east by the Philippine Sea, in the south by the Sulawesi Sea, in the north the Philippine Islands are separated from Taiwan by the Bashi Strait. The length of the coastline is 36.3 thousand km. The total area of ​​the islands is 299.7 thousand km².

The relief of the islands is made up mainly of mountains, the highest of which - Apo volcano (2954 m) - is located on the island of Mindanao. The mountain ranges are of volcanic origin, since the archipelago is located at the junction of the continental and oceanic lithospheric plates and is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is characterized by increased seismicity and volcanism. Deep-sea trenches and volcanic islands are a hallmark of the Philippines. Off the coast of the island of Mindanao, the Philippine Trench passes with a depth of up to 10,830 m - one of the deepest in the world's oceans.

Climate

The climate of the islands is tropical, monsoon, turning into subequatorial in the south. Temperatures on the coast are 24-28°C, in mountainous areas cooler. The rainy season lasts from May to November, when the southwest monsoon blows. The dry season (November to April) is expressed in the west of Luzon, Palawan and the Visayas. On northern regions countries often hit by typhoons, tsunamis are possible. The amount of precipitation per year varies from 1000 to 4000 mm.

Flora and fauna

About half of the territory of the Philippines is covered with tropical rainforests, which are dominated by palm trees, rubber trees, banyan, apitong, mayapis, lauan, bamboo, orchids, and cinnamon are often found. At an altitude of over 1200 m above sea level, shrubs and meadows grow.

Among the animals living in the Philippine Islands, deer, mongoose, wild boar are more common than others. The fauna of the country is characterized by a wide variety of species of birds and reptiles. In the coastal waters there are many species of fish and shellfish, among the latter, pearl mussels are especially remarkable - shellfish capable of forming pearls.

State structure

The Philippines is a presidential republic with a bicameral Congress and an independent judiciary.

The President is elected by the population for a 6-year term, the Senate (24 seats) - also for a 6-year term, the House of Representatives (240 seats) - for a 3-year term.

Political parties

The main parties following the elections in May 2007:

• Lacas/Kampi/Christian and Muslim Democrats - centrist, 4 senators, 142 deputies
• Nationalist People's Coalition - centrist, 2 senators, 28 deputies
• Liberal Party - center-left, 4 senators, 14 deputies
• Nationalist Party - center-right, 3 senators, 8 deputies
• Bayan - left, 7 deputies
• Democratic Party / Laban - center-left, 1 senator, 4 deputies
• Pversa Masan - center-left, 2 senators, 3 deputies
• United opposition - centrist, 2 senators, 3 deputies

One of the communist parties has had an armed organization since 1969 - the New People's Army (in the early 1980s - about 25 thousand fighters, in 2009 - about 4 thousand).

Islamist armed groups also operate in the Philippines - the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf.

Administrative division

The main administrative unit of the Philippines is a province. The Philippines is divided into 80 provinces grouped into 17 regions. Some so-called "independent" cities are not legally part of the provinces. The provinces are divided into municipalities and incorporated cities. Municipalities are divided into elementary administrative units - barangay communities.

Story

ancient time

Beginning in the 5th century, a civilization based on a mixture of different cultures and nationalities formed on the territory of modern Philippines. Indigenous people The islanders, commonly known as the Negrites and Aetians, overcame prehistoric lands and continental glaciers and eventually settled in the lush forests of the islands. Later, Austronesian-speaking settlers from South China arrived on the islands via Taiwan. Chinese merchants arrived in the 8th century. Belonging to the Indo-Malay maritime kingdoms in the 7th-17th centuries, the Philippines were discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.

XIV century - the landing of the Arabs. By the time the first Europeans arrived in the north of the islands (on the territory of present-day Manila), rajas ruled, who, due to historical conditions, paid tribute to the states of Southeast Asia, namely the kingdom of Srivijaya. However, in essence, the Philippine Islands were already self-sufficient and had their own internal government.

Spanish period (1521-1898)

1521 - Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan lands in the Philippines.
1565 - On April 27, the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Lagaspi, accompanied by four hundred armed soldiers, arrived on the islands and founded Cebu, the first Spanish settlement. From 1543, the islands became known as the Philippines in honor of the Spanish prince, and later King Philip II. The territory was subject to the viceroy New Spain. Installed maritime traffic Acapulco-Manila. Spanish and Catholicism became widespread, with the exception of the southern rebellious islands inhabited by Muslims.
In 1762, after a fierce battle, Manila was captured by British colonial troops, but the next year they were returned to Spain. The enemies of Spain intensified the national liberation movement. Muslims and the local Chinese diaspora were anti-Spanish.
By the 19th century, a stratum of Hispanic Filipino Catholics, Creoles and Mestizos emerged and became leaders in the struggle for independence. José Rizal, the most famous propagandist, was arrested and executed in 1896 for subversion. Shortly thereafter, the Philippine Revolution began, led by the Three K Society (Kataastaasan at Kagalang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan), or Katipunan, a secret revolutionary society founded by Andres Bonifacio and later led by Emilio Aguinaldo. The revolutionaries nearly succeeded in expelling the Spaniards by 1898.

American period (1898-1946)

In 1898, after the Spanish-American War, Spain ceded the Philippines, Cuba, Guam and Puerto Rico United States of America for 20 million dollars in accordance with the Paris Peace Treaty of 1898. On June 12, 1898, the Filipinos, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, declared themselves independent from Spain. This led to rebel wars and revolution during the Philippine-American War, which officially ended in 1901, although sporadic battles continued until 1913. With its own small government, the Philippine Islands became a dependent territory of the United States and only in 1935 they received the status of autonomy within the United States. While the Philippines was autonomous, the Philippines sent a non-elected representative to the lower house of the US Congress, as do the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands at present.

During World War II, the Philippines was occupied by the Japanese.

Independent Philippines

In fact, the Philippines was finally granted independence in 1946.

The subsequent period was overshadowed by post-war problems. Citizen unrest during the unrecognized dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos ended only in 1986. At the moment, there are difficulties with the uprisings of the Maoists (see: Communist Party of the Philippines) and Trotskyists (see: Revolutionary Workers Party of the Philippines and Revolutionary Workers Party of Mindanao), as well as Muslim separatism (see: Moro National Liberation Front, Moro Islamic Liberation Front , Abu Sayyaf Group).

Economy

Advantages: open to foreign investors. Growing productivity in agriculture. Export of bananas and pineapples. Significant remittances from citizens working abroad.

Weaknesses: Energy problems limit development opportunities. Underdeveloped infrastructure. Due to the small amount of monetary savings of citizens, dependence on foreign financial resources. Unproductive natural economy.

Today the Philippines is an agro-industrial country. The most developed industries are: electronic, textile, chemical, woodworking, food, pharmaceutical. Agriculture includes fishing and forestry. The Philippines is the largest exporter of coconuts, bananas, rice and pineapples. The most important trading partners are the USA, Taiwan, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong. The country has a fairly well developed transport infrastructure - railways, roads, river and sea transport. Major ports countries: Davao, Manila and Cebu. The monetary unit is the Philippine peso.

Population

The population is 99.9 million people. (July 2010 estimate, 12th in the world).

Annual growth - 1.9%.

Urban population - 65% (in 2008).

Literacy - 93% (according to the 2000 census).

Ethnic composition: Tagals 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Warai 3.4%, other 25.3% (2000 census) of the year).

The country has two official languages, Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and English.

Languages

The official language is Tagalog (Tagalog, or Pilipino). The majority of the population speaks the Filipino languages ​​of the Austronesian family, the most common being Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicol, Hiligaynon, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, and Warai Warai. A significant part of the population speaks English. Spanish (3%), Spanish-Creole Chabacano (1%), and Chinese are also common. Spanish in the Philippines for over three centuries (1571-1898) served as the only written language of the country. However, due to the extreme remoteness of Spain, he never became native to the bulk local population. The Spanish-American War of 1898 ended with the transfer of the Philippines under the control of the United States. Spanish, however, retained the traditional function of the lingua franca in the country until the early 1950s, after which the American government made active efforts to replace it with English. First, Spanish lost its official status under the 1973 constitution, and then ceased to be taught in schools as a compulsory subject after 1986. Currently, at the urging of President Gloria Arroyo, active attempts are being made to revive the classic Spanish in the country, since almost all historical, literary and revolutionary documents for more than four hundred years of the new history of the islands are written in Spanish. Moreover, all the indigenous languages ​​of the Philippines, including the main among them - Tagalog - retain significant layers of Spanish vocabulary, which makes up to 40% of their vocabulary. English is widely used in the Philippines, especially in science, education, and the press.

Religions

The Catholic religion is professed by 80.9% of the population, Protestants - 11.6%, Muslims - 5%, some Filipinos adhere to traditional beliefs.

Tourism

The largest city in the Philippines, Manila, is located on the island of Luzon. It is the capital of the state, the main cultural and economic center. Manila is the center of the Greater Manila conurbation, with a population of 10 million people. It includes such large cities as Quezon City, Kalookan and Pasay. Manila is home to the National Museum of the Philippines, the Santo Tomas Museum of Natural History and Anthropology, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the historical center of Intramuros - fortifications, churches, houses of the XVI-XVIII centuries, Botanical Garden. Tourists are offered sightseeing tours of Manila, to Taal Lake, air safaris and folklore shows are organized.

The Philippines is famous for its beaches and picturesque coral reefs. The most famous tourist resorts located in the southern part of the archipelago on the islands of Boracay, Cebu, Bohol and Palawan. Tourists are offered both a beach holiday and a more active one - cruises, diving, surfing.

There are numerous national parks, faunal reserves and forest reserves on the islands. The largest and most interesting for tourists are Mount Apo, Taal, Mayon, Kanlaon, located on the islands of Luzon and Mindanao.

The Philippines has sufficient recreational resources, natural and socio-cultural. Today, the islands offer almost all types of tourism: beach, extreme, sports, ecological, educational. Tourism is negatively affected by the politically unstable situation in the country, conflicts between the Muslim and Christian communities. In addition, the monsoon climate and the rainy season, which lasts more than 10 months, do not contribute to the development of beach tourism.

The Philippines is a multi-island state in Southeast Asia, part of the Malay Archipelago, which includes more than 7,000 islands, of which only 2,000 are inhabited. In the east, numerous islands are washed by the Philippine Sea, in the west by the South China Sea, in the south by Sulawesi , and in the north, the Bashi Strait separates the republic from the island of Taiwan. The total area of ​​the island complex is 300 thousand square meters. kilometers, the relief is mainly mountains, volcanoes and hills. According to 2011 data, about 102 million people live on the lands of the Philippine archipelago.

The ethnic composition is diverse and consists of several groups: Tagals occupy 28% of total population, Cebuano - 13%, Binisaya - 8%, Bicol - 6%, etc. State language in the Philippines is Pilipino (Tagalog), the majority of the population also speaks English. Monetary National currency expressed in a unit called the peso. The inhabitants of the country profess Catholicism (81%), Protestantism (11%), Islam (5%) and other religions.

Philippines - capital and major cities

The capital city of Manila is located on the island of Luzon. About 2 million people live in the metropolis, more than 12 million with suburbs. The Philippine capital is the largest city in the entire archipelago, it is the cultural, political, and economic center of the state. Throughout its history, Manila has experienced many major wars in which many monuments were destroyed and architectural values. More than half of the buildings in the city are made of coconut wood. Other largest cities in the country include Davao, Quezon City (2nd place after the capital), Cebu, Iloilo, Bacalod.

Philippines - holidays and tours

Philippines is real tropical paradise, created by the hands of nature itself, is the embodiment of the dream of any person. The country offers its guests a huge choice for recreation and entertainment: from white sandy beaches before visiting night bars and discos. Preferred resorts are located on the southern islands of the archipelago: Cebu, Palawan and Bohol. First of all, visitors, leaving their luggage in the room, go to the famous beaches, feel white sand underfoot, bathe in turquoise sea ​​waves, sunbathing and just having fun. Daredevils and extreme people, of course, will try to curb the rebellious waves. In addition to surfing, you can go diving to admire the deep sea ​​beauty, immerse yourself in a world unknown to us, full of charm and life. For a change, try snorkelling, water skiing, parasailing and yachting.

See also: Boracay Island closes for six months by presidential order

Holidays in the Philippines are visiting first-class spas, canoeing, mountaineering and trekking, cycling and hiking, diverse flora and fauna. And for sports fans there are special grounds for volleyball, football, golf and tennis. The islands are very stormy night life. Discos, clubs, karaoke, open beach parties will not let guests get bored.
Hike to local attractions, museums, gardens, national parks, shops, etc. - an integral part of traveling to an exotic country. The islands offer unlimited rest for travelers, almost all types of tourism are developed: beach, sports, extreme, educational and sightseeing.

Philippines - Attractions

As a result of the Second World War, many cultural and historical values ​​in Manila were destroyed. Intensive construction helped to restore some of the sights. In the old metropolitan area, founded in 1571, the majestic fortress walls of the 16th century, about 5 km long, deserve attention. Many galleries, museums and a large aquarium are concentrated in their thickness, which will undoubtedly amaze you with an abundance of marine life. Also in the capital are: Fort Santiago of the 16th century, Manila Cathedral, San Luis Square, Casa Manila Museum, Silakhis - major center antiques, colonial buildings dating back to the 16th century. It is interesting to visit Rizal Park with a planetarium, flower pavilions and concert venues. Gorgeous Malate Church, Harrison Plaza, Robinson Place, Cape Boheador Lighthouse, national museums and many other attractions are concentrated in Manila.

Corregidor Island is known for its fortress ruins, the Malinta tunnels, hot sulfur springs and resorts based on them (Los Banos, Cuyab and Pansol). To the north of the capital you will find the Zambale region with the curious Sagada caves. And south of Manila lies the picturesque Tagaytay Range, within which flaunts national park and Taal Volcano.
Mindoro Island is famous for its underwater National Park with magnificent fish fauna; Mindanao is famous big amount mosques, Pasonanka and Klimako-Freedom parks. volcanic island Sulu, Palawan, Visayan, Cebu are the famous objects of the archipelago, it is here that the main number of tourists is concentrated.

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Philippines - weather (climate)

A significant role in climate formation is played by the dissection of the relief, however, monsoonal, maritime tropical and subequatorial climates prevail. In summer, the temperature rises from +24 to +33 degrees. In general, the summer here is hot, but humid. The dry season starts from autumn to February, the temperature varies from +23 to +39 degrees. The coolest months are November, December - average temperature during the day ... +26, at night - drops to +16 degrees. In mountainous areas, frosts and destructive typhoons are often observed.

Philippines - national cuisine

Filipino cuisine is a successful interweaving of Malay, Spanish, Chinese culinary traditions. Therefore, rice is used as the main ingredient. It replaces bread for Filipinos, which is not very common here. Rice in all its variations (boiled, fried, with the addition of vegetables, fruits, meat, sauces, fish and other seafood) is always on the table.
Also, Filipino chefs will surprise you with a wide range of meat dishes. Traditional delicacies - fried chicken "tinola", paella with chicken, pork and seafood, meat rolls "morcon", meat casserole "pankitmolo" with mushrooms, fried chicken with vegetables with the addition of "riytafel" sauce, stuffed pig fried on coals, " adobo" - marinated pieces of meat, soup with vegetables and beef, "relino" - stuffed fish or chicken, buffalo meat skewers. As you can see, vegetables are also used in the preparation of most dishes.
Also try a huge variety of fish and seafood dishes: shellfish siniganga, pinakbet shrimp, delicious marinated fish, fish balls and cutlets. Seafood dishes are the visiting card of the country. There are an unmeasured number of them here, and each of them is unique in its taste.
Hospitable residents will not leave you without a sweet. For dessert, you will be offered a variety of confectionery. Traditional sweets are must-try: rice flour patties, sugared cheese buns, fried bananas with honey sauce, desserts based on coconut milk and fruits, and the popular halo halo ice cream. Common drinks are lemonade, buko (coconut milk), natural fruit juices, and refreshing iced tea.