09-05-2008 22:31:17
The Philippines: a beautiful country
The Philippines is a beautiful island country consisting of over 7000 islands, lying in south-east asia, stretching almost 1850 kilometers in length from north to south. It's a fascinating country, with many things to see and do. Of course, you can visit Manila, Cebu and maybe Palawan, but those aren't the only interesting places to go to. There are many volcanoes, which are often still active, beautiful mountains, spectacular landscapes and underwater areas, and of course the many historical spanish buildings and churches which dot the islands of the Philippines. And of course the many islamic historical artifacts in the southern part of the Philippines, Mindanao.
The largest ethnic groups on the Philippines are of Malayan origin, with some Chinese influence. There are also the Mestizos (Filipino-Spanish and Filipino-American) who are evidence of the long Spanish (over 300 years) and American (almost 50 years) occupation of the country. The islands got their name from the Spanish - they named the country Filipinas after King Philip II of Spain. Due to extensive conversion by the Church during the Spanish era, the Philippines are the only Christian nation in Asia, with over 82% of its population following the Roman Catholic faith. The Filipinos are a very outgoing and friendly people, whose ethos is ruled by 'bayanihan' - a communal spirit which binds them together, and embraces all visitors to their country as well.
Because of the bad post-independance goverments, the Philippines has often received bad press, overshadowing it's image as a beautiful place with that of a place of corruption, dictatorship, terrorist attacks and economic problems. The occasional typhoons, earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions don't help much either.
However these problems, the Philippines is a relatively safe and cheap place to go, with beautiful beaches, fantastic mountain ranges and beautiful ocean views, where beautiful pictures can be taken, with a long and interesting history.
If you have any further information or comments about this site or the Philippines, please don't hesitate to contact me on the contact page.
The largest ethnic groups on the Philippines are of Malayan origin, with some Chinese influence. There are also the Mestizos (Filipino-Spanish and Filipino-American) who are evidence of the long Spanish (over 300 years) and American (almost 50 years) occupation of the country. The islands got their name from the Spanish - they named the country Filipinas after King Philip II of Spain. Due to extensive conversion by the Church during the Spanish era, the Philippines are the only Christian nation in Asia, with over 82% of its population following the Roman Catholic faith. The Filipinos are a very outgoing and friendly people, whose ethos is ruled by 'bayanihan' - a communal spirit which binds them together, and embraces all visitors to their country as well.
Because of the bad post-independance goverments, the Philippines has often received bad press, overshadowing it's image as a beautiful place with that of a place of corruption, dictatorship, terrorist attacks and economic problems. The occasional typhoons, earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions don't help much either.
However these problems, the Philippines is a relatively safe and cheap place to go, with beautiful beaches, fantastic mountain ranges and beautiful ocean views, where beautiful pictures can be taken, with a long and interesting history.
If you have any further information or comments about this site or the Philippines, please don't hesitate to contact me on the contact page.