Claim: The Philippines is an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
Evidence: The Philippines -LRB- -LSB- ˈfɪlᵻpiːnz -RSB- Pilipinas -LSB- ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs -RSB- -RRB- , officially the Republic of the Philippines -LRB- -LSB- Republika ng Pilipinas , links = no -RSB- -RRB- , is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean.
In 1543 , Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain.