Description: two equal
horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle
based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun
with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in
each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
Geography
Location: Southeastern
Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east
of Vietnam
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 122 00 E
Map references: Southeast
Asia
Area: total area: 300,000
sq km
land area: 298,170
sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline: 36,289
km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf:
to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898
treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South
China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
International disputes:
involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia,
Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claims Malaysian state of Sabah
Climate: tropical
marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to
October)
Terrain: mostly mountains
with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
lowest point: Philippine
Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount
Apo 2,954 m
Natural resources:
timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
Land use: arable land: 26%
permanent crops:
11%
meadows and pastures:
4%
forest and woodland:
40%
other: 19%
Irrigated land: 16,200
sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: uncontrolled
deforestation in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution
in Manila; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps which are important
fish breeding grounds
natural hazards:
astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six
cyclonic storms per year; landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes,
tsunamis
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification,
Tropical Timber 94
People
Population: 74,480,848
(July 1996 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 38% (male
14,486,214; female 14,026,873)
15-64 years: 58%
(male 21,403,784; female 21,968,259)
65 years and over:
4% (male 1,165,810; female 1,429,908) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.18% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 29.51
births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 6.66
deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97
male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.82 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.99 male(s)/female
(1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population:
65.91 years
male: 63.14 years
female: 68.83 years
(1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Filipino(s)
adjective: Philippine
Ethnic divisions:
Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
Religions: Roman
Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%
Languages: Pilipino
(official, based on Tagalog), English (official)
Literacy: age 15
and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population:
94.6%
male: 95%
female: 94.3%
Government
Name of country: conventional long form:
Republic of the Philippines
conventional short form:
Philippines
local long form:
Republika ng Pilipinas
local short form:
Pilipinas
Data code: RP
Type of government:
republic
Capital: Manila
Administrative divisions:
72 provinces and 61 chartered cities*; Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del
Sur, Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique, Aurora, Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*,
Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Batangas City*,
Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*, Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*, Cagayan,
Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*, Caloocan*, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur,
Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu
City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*, Dapitan*, Davao City* Davao, Davao
del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dipolog*, Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar, General Santos*,
Gingoog*, Ifugao, Iligan*, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*,
Iriga*, Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, La Carlota*, Laguna, Lanao del Norte,
Lanao del Sur, Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La Union, Legaspi*, Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*,
Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental,
Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain, Naga*,
Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva
Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*, Oroquieta*, Ozamis*, Pagadian*,
Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasay*, Puerto Princesa*, Quezon,
Quezon City*, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*, Samar, San Carlos* (in Negros
Occidental), San Carlos* (in Pangasinan), San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*,
Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu,
Surigao*, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*,
Tangub*, Tarlac, Tawitawi, Toledo*, Trece Martires*, Zambales, Zamboanga*,
Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur
Independence: 4 July
1946 (from US)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 June (1898) (from Spain)
Constitution: 2 February
1987, effective 11 February 1987
Legal system: based
on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years
of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head
of government: President Fidel Valdes RAMOS (since 30 June 1992) and
Vice President Joseph Ejercito ESTRADA (since 30 June 1992) were elected
for six-year terms by popular vote; election last held 11 May 1992 (next
to be held NA May 1998); results - Fidel Valdes RAMOS won 23.6% of the
vote, a narrow plurality
cabinet: Executive
Secretary was appointed by the president with the consent of the Commission
of Appointments
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress (Kongreso)
Senate (Senado):
elections last held 8 May 1995 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (24 total) LDP 14, Lakas/NUCD 5, NPC 2, LP
1, PRP 1, independent 1
House of Representatives
(Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan): elections last held 8 May 1995 (next
to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (204
total) Lakas/NUCD 129, LDP 29, NPC (opposition) 25, LP 6, PDP 3, KBL/NPC
1, results pending 11
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president
on recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council
Political parties and
leaders: Democratic Filipino Struggle (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino,
LDP), Edgardo ANGARA; People Power-National Union of Christian Democrats
(Lakas ng EDSA-NUCD or Lakas-NUCD); Raul MANGLAPUS, president and Jose
DE VENECIA, secretary general; Liberal Party (LP), Raul DAZA; National
People's Coalition (NPC), Eduardo COJUANGCO; People's Reform Party (PRP),
Miriam DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO; New Society Movement (Kilusan Bagong Lipunan,
KBL), Imelda MARCOS; Nacionalista Party (NP), Salvador H. LAUREL, president;
Filipino Democratic Party (Partido Demokratikong Philipinas or PDP), Jose
COJUANGCO, is part of the ruling coalition with the LDP
International organization
participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIH, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation
in US: chief of mission:
Ambassador Raul Chaves RABE
chancery: 1600 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202)
467-9300
FAX: [1] (202) 328-7614
consulate(s) general:
Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco,
and Seattle
consulate(s): San
Diego and San Jose (Saipan)
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate Thomas C. HUBBARD
embassy: 1201 Roxas
Boulevard, Ermita Manila 1000
mailing address:
APO AP 96440
telephone: [63] (2)
521-71-16
FAX: [63] (2) 522-43-61
Flag: two equal horizontal
bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on
the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight
primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner
of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
Economy
Economic overview: The
Philippine economy, primarily a mixture of agriculture and light industry,
continued its third year of recovery in 1995, led by growth in exports
and investments. Officials have targeted 5%-6% growth for 1996 after achieving
4.8% growth in 1995. The government is continuing its economic reforms
to enable the Philippines to move closer to the development of the newly
industrialized countries of East Asia. The strategy includes improving
infrastructure and plans to overhaul the tax system to bolster government
revenues.
GDP: purchasing power
parity - $179.7 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
4.8% (1995)
GDP per capita: $2,530
(1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 22%
industry: 30%
services: 48%
Inflation rate (consumer
prices): 8.1% (1995)
Labor force: 24.12
million
by occupation: agriculture
46%, industry and commerce 16%, services 18.5%, government 10%, other 9.5%
(1989)
Unemployment rate:
9.5% (1995 est.)
Budget: revenues: $14.1 billion
expenditures: $13.6
billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)
Industries: textiles,
pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics
assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Industrial production
growth rate: 1.4% (1993)
Electricity: capacity: 6,770,000
kW
production: 20.4
billion kWh
consumption per capita:
278 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: rice,
coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef;
fish catch of 2 million metric tons annually
Illicit drugs: illicit
producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are producing
more and better quality cannabis despite government eradication efforts;
transit point for Southwest Asian and Golden Triangle heroin bound for
the US
Exports: $17.4 billion
(f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: electronics,
textiles, coconut products, copper, fish
partners: US 39%,
Japan 15%, Germany 5%, Hong Kong 5%, UK 5% (1994)
Imports: $26.5 billion
(f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: raw
materials 40%, capital goods 25%, petroleum products 10%
partners: Japan 24%,
US 18%, Singapore 7%, Taiwan 6%, South Korea 5% (1994)
External debt: $41
billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $934
million (1993)
Currency: 1 Philippine
peso (P) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Philippine
pesos (P) per US$1 - 26.206 (December 1995), 25.714 (1995), 26.417 (1994),
27.120 (1993), 25.512 (1992), 27.479 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar
year
Transportation
Railways: total: 499 km
narrow gauge: 499
km 1.067-m gauge (1993)
Highways: total: 160,633 km
paved: 22,489 km
unpaved: 138,144
km (1992 est.)
Waterways: 3,219
km; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
Pipelines: petroleum
products 357 km
Ports: Batangas,
Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras Island, Iligan, Iloilo, Jolo, Legaspi,
Manila, Masao, Puerto Princesa, San Fernando, Subic Bay, Zamboanga
Merchant marine: total: 535 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,033,849 GRT/13,101,188 DWT
ships by type: bulk
230, cargo 126, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 11, container 12, liquefied
gas tanker 9, livestock carrier 12, oil tanker 44, passenger 2, passenger-cargo
12, refrigerated cargo 19, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger
18, vehicle carrier 25
note: a flag of convenience
registry; Japan owns 22 ships, Hong Kong 4, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 1, Denmark
1, and UK 1 (1995 est.)
Airports: total: 235
with paved runways over
3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 2
438 to 3 047 m: 7
with paved runways 1
524 to 2 437 m: 25
with paved runways 914
to 1 523 m: 31
with paved runways under
914 m: 104
with unpaved runways
1 524 to 2 437 m: 3
with unpaved runways
914 to 1 523 m: 63 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones: 887,229 (1993
est.)
Telephone system:
good international radiotelephone and submarine cable services; domestic
and interisland service adequate
domestic: domestic
satellite system with 11 earth stations
international: submarine
cables to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 261, FM 55, shortwave 0
Radios: 9.03 million
(1992 est.)
Television broadcast
stations: 29
Televisions: 7 million
(1993 est.)
Defense
Branches: Army, Navy
(includes Coast Guard and Marine Corps), Air Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49:
18,722,509
males fit for military
service: 13,221,513
males reach military
age (20) annually: 767,056 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 1.4% of GDP (1995)
Geography