Philippines

The Philippines is an island country located in Southeast Asia that consists of around 7,100+ islands in the western Pacific Ocean with an area of just about 120,000 square miles. The climate of the country is tropical and monsoonal, with temperatures remaining relatively constant during the year, with the seasons consisting of wet and dry periods. The landscape is diverse, ranging from flat lush green fields to mountainous areas with just about 50 volcanoes located throughout the country (Cullinane, 2021).

The Philippines remains one of the most populated countries in South East Asia, with a total population count of just about 107.3 million people as of 2021 (Sanchez, 2021). Most of its population live in urban areas, while the rest reside in the rural parts of the country. The following image shows the Population Pyramid of the country as of 2021:

The country has a large range of Ethnic Groups as well, with current numbers showing the following count:

●     Tagalog 24.4%

●     Bisaya/Binisaya 11.4%

●     Cebuano 9.9%

●     Ilocano 8.8%

●     Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 8.4%

●     Bikol/Bicol 6.8%

●     Waray 4%

●     other local ethnicity 26.1%

●    other foreign ethnicity .1%

There are over 120 languages spoken in the Philippines. Filipino, also known as Tagalog, is the national language, but English is also taught as an official language in the country. This map from Translators Without Borders below shows just how regionadiverse the language is in the country:

The Philippines has long been subject to colonization. The country was a Spanish colony for over 300 years and was named after King Philip II of Spain. In the 19th Century, the United States defeated the Spanish and fought Filipino revolutionaries until 1902 to take control of the country. It remained a commonwealth and semi-independent until the country was invaded by the Japanese during World War II. On July 4, 1946 the country became independent (Lambert, 2020), although the country celebrates June 12 as its actual independence from Spanish rule.

Today, the country is still riddled with corruption and income inequality. In a March 2017 report, the Asian Development Bank found that income inequality is increasing: together with China, India, Indonesia and Russia, the Philippines is not seeing equality rise with GDP growth. Between 1985 and 2015, the Philippines never dropped below 40 on the Gini index (“Income inequality remains,” 2019). Income distribution in the Philippines is greatly uneven, and most studies have shown that poverty rates are higher than in other ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries.

Citations

Cullinane, M. (2021, March 19). Https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines. Retrieved March 25, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines

Income inequality remains an issue in the philippines, despite robust economic expansion. (2019, August 30). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/analysis/lifting-all-boats-government-works-address-persistent-inequality

Lambert, T. (2020). A Brief History of the Philippines. Retrieved March 27, 2021, from http://www.localhistories.org/philippines.html

Sanchez, M. J. (2021, January 28). Topic: Demographics in the Philippines. Retrieved March 25, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/topics/5799/demographics-in-the-philippines/