The Republic of the Philippines (Pilipino: Republika ng Pilipinas) is an archipelago consisting of some 7,100 islands and islets lying about 500 miles off the southeast coast of Asia. The total land area of the Philippines is 115,800 square miles (300,000 square kilometres).

The country spans about 1,150 miles (1,850 km) from south to north at its longest extent and about 700 miles (1,125 km) from west to east at its widest extent; surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, it is bounded by the Philippine Sea to the east, the Celebes Sea to the south, the Sulu Sea to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the west.

The two principal islands of the Philippines are Luzon in the north, occupying 40,420 square miles (104,688 square km), and Mindanao in the south, occupying 36,537 square miles (94,630 square km). The Visayan group of islands in the central Philippines include Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, and Samar; Mindoro is situated directly south of Luzon, and Palawan is isolated in the west.

It is bounded by the Philippine Sea to the east, the Celebes Sea to the south, and the South China Sea to the west and north. The Philippines takes its name from Philip II, who was king of Spain during the Spanish colonization of the islands in the 16th century. Manila is the biggest city and the national capital. It is located on Luzon, the largest island, which has a land area of 40,420 square miles.

The large islands fall into three groups: (1) the Luzon group in the north and west, consisting of Luzon, Mindoro, and Palawan; (2) the Visayan group in the centre, consisting of Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay, and Samar; and (3) Mindanao in the south.

Because it was under Spanish rule for 333 years and under U.S. tutelage for a further 48 years, the Philippines has many cultural affinities with the West. It is, for example, the fourth most populous country in which English is an official language and the only predominantly Roman Catholic country in Southeast Asia.

Its peoples, however, are Asian in consciousness and in aspiration. In many ways Filipino society is composed of paradoxes, perhaps the most apparent being the great extremes of wealth and poverty in the nation. The Philippines is a country of rich resources, but it is in the process of developing its full potentialities. It is primarily agricultural, although a high degree of domestic and foreign investment has spurred the rapid development of its industrial potential. Educationally, it is among the most advanced of Asian countries, having a high literacy rate

The Philippine topography is varied, with inactive volcanoes and mountain ranges being the conspicuous features of most of the larger islands. Many islands have narrow and often-interrupted coastal plains and river systems that generally trend northward. Large lakes on Luzon and Mindanao are of volcanic origin except Laguna de Bay, the country's largest lake (356 square miles [922 square km]), southeast of Manila; it was probably once an arm of Manila Bay.

Northern Luzon has rugged mountain ranges trending north-south (including the Sierra Madre in the east and the Cordillera Central in the west) separated by the fertile Cagayan River valley. A merger of these mountain systems in central Luzon separates the Cagayan valley from the 150-by-50-mile (240-by-80-kilometre) densely populated, agriculturally productive central plain of Luzon to the south. Manila is located at the southern end of this plain on the natural harbour provided by Manila Bay.

The Philippines have a maritime tropical climate with temperature variations being almost entirely a result of elevation. Manila has an average annual temperature of 81 F (27 C). The archipelago is well watered, with the western Philippines having a distinct dry season.

Typhoons frequently strike the more northerly eastern coast. More than one-third of the country is forested. There are many valuable hardwoods, such as lauan (Philippine mahogany), as well as many softwoods, including pine. Native plants and animals include some 800 species of orchid and at least 56 species of bat.

The people of the Philippines (who are called Filipinos) are predominantly of a Malay stock frequently admixed with Chinese and sometimes with American or Spanish ethnic groups. Pilipino, a language based on Tagalog (the language spoken around Manila by almost one-third of the country's total population), and English are both official languages. There are scores of other languages, the main groups of which are the Cebuano (spoken by approximately one-fourth of the total population), Ilocano, Hiligaynon, and Bicol.

More than four-fifths of the population is Roman Catholic, and a sizable minority is Muslim. Some of the population belongs to the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan) and others are mainline Protestant.

Population density in the Philippines is relatively high. Nearly two-fifths are younger than 15 years of age. Family-planning programs have been concentrated especially in rural areas. Overall life expectancy has increased to 65 years. Heavy migration from rural to urban areas has caused overcrowding, particularly in metropolitan Manila; about two-fifths of the country's population is urban. Emigration and immigration generally balance each other, although many of the emigrants include highly skilled workers.

The people of the Philippines are called Filipinos. Their ancestors, who were of Malay stock, came from the southeastern Asian mainland as well as from what is now Indonesia. From the 10th century, contacts with China resulted in a group of mixed Filipino-Chinese descent, who account for a minority of the population. A small percentage of Chinese nationals also live in the country. Spanish-Filipinos and Filipino-Americans may be distinguished by their fairer complexion, taller stature, and aquiline nose structure. The relatively small numbers of emigrants from the Indian subcontinent added to the population's racial mixture. There are small numbers of resident U.S. nationals (excluding military personnel) and Spaniards. The aboriginal inhabitants of the islands were the Negritos, or Pygmies, also called Aetas or Balugas; they now constitute only a small percentage of the total population.