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Philippines

 

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean.  To its north across the Luzon Straint lies Taiwan.  West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam.  The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia.  It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea.  Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and make it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world.  An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions:  Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 marked the beginning of an ear of Spanish interest, and eventual dominance.  Manila emerged as the Asian hub of the Manila-Acapulco galleon treasure fleet.  Christianity became widespread.  As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, there followed in quick succession the short-lived Philippine Revolution, the Spanish-american War, and the Philippine-American War.  In the aftermath, the United States replaced Spain as the dominant power.  Aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until the end of World War II when the Philippines gained independence.  The United States bequeathed to the Philippines the English language and a stronger affinity for Western culture.  Since independence the Philippines has had an often tumultuous experience with democracy, with popular "People Power" movements overthrowing a dictatorship in one instance but also underlining the institutional weaknesses of its constitutional republic in others.

A newly industrialized country, the Philippine economy has been transitioning from one based on agriculture to one based more on services and manufacturing.  Of the country's total labor force, the agricultural sector employs close to 32% but contributes to only about 13.8% of GDP.  The industrial sector employs around 13.7% of the workforce and accounts for 30% of GDP.

The economy is heavily reliant on remittances which surpass foreign direct investment as a source of foreign currency.  Regional development is uneven with Luzon -- Metro Manila in particular -- gaining most of the new economic growth at the expense of the other regions, although the government has taken steps to distribute economic growth by promoting investment in other areas of the country.  Despite constraints, service industries such as tourism and business process outsourcing have been identified as areas with some of the best opportunities for growth for the country.

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