The Philippines is a group of islands situated in Southeast Asia. It has been a country since May 15, 1946. Its capital city is Manila. The official language is Filipino although English is widely spoken. Today, the population of the Philippines exceeds 100 million people.
History of Manilla
In 1571, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos landed in what was then called Paracel Island (now known as Palawan). He later named the island after his hometown of Manila. In 1762, Spain ceded control of the archipelago to Great Britain. On June 12, 1898, the United States took possession of the Philippines from Spain following the Spanish-American War. After the war, Americans ruled the Philippines until they were forced out by Japanese forces at the end of World War II. The United States returned in 1944 and established the present political structure of the Philippines.
Philippine EconomyThe Philippines' economy is considered to be an emerging market. The global economy remains weak but some sectors have shown growth including tourism, shipping, manufacturing, construction, financial services, real estate, retail trade, wholesale trade, transport and logistics, information technology, telecommunications, education, health care, and mining. The Philippines' gross domestic product grew by 6% in 2010 and 5.7% in 2011. GDP per capita rose from $2,000 in 1980 to $5,500 in 2005. Economic freedom declined from 60th place in 2000 to 68th in 2008 and is projected to reach 75th place in 2012.
Manila's population has been estimated at over 20 million people, making it the third-largest city in the Philippines and the second-largest metropolitan area in the country. Its name comes from its original inhabitants, the Manilans, who arrived in the archipelago around 2,000 years ago. They were named after their homeland, which was called Manila in Classical Latin. Manila was established as an independent town on June 24, 1571, by Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi. In 1580, Magellan founded the first settlement in what would become known as the City of Manila. The Chinese took control of Manila in 1603 and ruled until 1662. The Spaniards returned and reestablished themselves in 1762.
Manila is the capital city of the Philippines. It was founded by Spanish colonizers in 1571. Its official name is the City of Manila. It has a population of over 12 million people. There are many tourist attractions like museums, parks, historical sites, monuments, beaches, etc. You can experience world-class shopping malls, markets, restaurants, bars, nightlife, hotels, etc. There are many tourist attractions in Manila. In the past decades, tourism has become one of the major sources of income in the city. In 2017, almost 6 million tourists visited the city, spending about ₱10 billion (US$200 million) per year. Almost 85% of the total foreign exchange earnings come from the service industry. There are over 730 hotels in the city. Manila has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Its first inhabitants were Negritos who lived along riverbanks. They were followed by other tribes, including the Malays, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Americans, and Filipinos. At present, over 12 million people are living in Metro Manila.
The Philippines was once called Las Islas de Luzon (The Islands of Luzon), after the largest island, Luzon. The capital city of the Philippines is named after its founder, Miguel Lopez De Legazpi. He established the settlement of Intramuros, now known as Old Manila, in 1571. The name of the country was officially changed from the Republic of the Philippines to the Philippine Islands in 1953. The term “manila world” means “the world of manila”.
