Philippines Directory

Philippines are the second largest island group and lie on the "ring of fire" an arc of volcanoes that circle the Pacific Ocean. There are about 7,107 islands, of which only 900 are inhabited. The Spanish colonization and American occupation has greatly influenced Philippine's society and their language. The capital city is Manila is a thriving centre for trade and industries, and home to more than ten million people. Philippines are the only Christian state in Asia and their languages are Filipino and English. The Islands are thickly forested, and about one-third of the land is cultivated. It employs thirty-nine percent of the labor force, and the chief crops are rice, cassava, maize, coconut, pineapple, sugarcane, banana, and vegetables. Food-processing factories export sugar, coconuts, tobacco, and tropical fruits. The fresh water around the Islands teems with fish, which form the basis of Filipino cuisine and their staple food is Rice.