Philippine how many islands

Sustainable travel tip: There are dedicated companies that specialize in eco-tourism , and resources, such as Simply Philippines , to help make sustainable adventure more accessible.

Travel requirements Travelers from the U. The World Health Organization recommends the following vaccinations for traveling to the islands: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella MMR , T-DAP tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis , chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia, and influenza.

When to go The high season for tourism is December to April. The Philippines is a tropical country, and the hotter, drier months 85 degrees F and up are March through June. The further south you go, the more humid the weather gets, and rain showers are likely regardless of the season.

Instead, use refillable containers or look for packaging-free alternatives, like shampoo bars. You can also find multi-use products, like Castile soaps, that can be used for washing your hair, body, and even clothing. What to pack Bring lightweight, comfortable clothing it can be casual and make sure to pack a swimsuit if you plan on heading to the beach or doing any boating or diving.

A waterproof bag can be helpful for keeping electronics, like phones and cameras, dry. Sunscreen and a mosquito repellent that contains DEET are must-bring items. Sustainable travel tip: It always helps to bring your own reusable bag or bag-for-life along with your backpack to prevent additional plastic waste.

Getting around Most people traveling to the Philippines from the U. If you want to go to multiple islands, you can find flights that connect to smaller airports throughout the Philippines.

Traveling by boat is also an option when getting to many of the islands in the region. Currency The Philippine Peso is the official currency of the Philippines. Each peso consists of centavos. Bills and coins are used in the Philippines. Credit cards are accepted in the bigger cities and more populated beach areas.

Keep your small change for paying jeepney drivers. Sustainable travel tip: Consider donating your leftover currency at the end of your trip to a local charity dedicated to cleaning beaches or preserving wildlife.

Language and culture Filipino and English are the official languages of the Philippines — but the Philippines is an ethnically diverse country and was a Spanish colony for years , so more than languages are spoken in the region.

The majority of the population of this group of the islands are the Visayan people. The Visayan Islands consists of three administrative divisions, i. The group of these islands together with their neighboring islands make up the central group of the Republic of Philippines.

High and green mountains characterize the majority of the Visayan Islands except for Masbate Island and the Samar islands, which are remarkably hilly. The islands are densely populated with the majority of its inhabitants being the Hiligaynon, Waray-Waray and the Cebuano.

Is it even possible to count all of the islands in the Philippines? Olympic Games History. Southeast Asian Countries. It is the basic unit of the Philippine political system. It consists of less than 1, inhabitants residing within the territorial limit of a city or municipality and administered by a set of elective officials, headed by a barangay chairman or punong barangay. Data as of December It is composed of 7, islands, with a land area of , square kilometers.

Its length measures 1, kilometers, starting from the point near the southern tip of Taiwan and ending close to northern Borneo. Its breadth is about kilometers. The Philippine coastline adds up to 17, kilometers. Three prominent bodies of water surround the archipelago: the Pacific Ocean on the east, the South China Sea on the west and north, and the Celebes Sea on the south. This position accounts for much of the variations in geographic, climatic and vegetational conditions in the country.

The topography of the bigger islands — particularly Luzon and Mindanao — is characterized by alluvial plains, narrow valleys, rolling hills and high mountains. The highest mountains are found in Mindanao and Luzon, with the altitudes varying from 1, to 3, meters.

Most of the smaller islands are mountainous in the interior, surrounded by narrow strips of discontinuous flat lowlands which constitute the coastal rims.

The shorelines of both large and small islands are irregular. The sampaguita is the national flower. Metro Manila is strategically located in the middle of Luzon, on the eastern coast of Manila Bay and at the mouth of the Pasig River, sprawled over an area of sq. Manila sits in the middle of a swampy deltaic plain formed by accumulated sedimentary deposits from the Pasig River and other streams. The city is between the bay to the west, the highlands to the east, and Laguna de Bay to the southeast.

Most of its densely populated areas are found along the Pasig River running across the metropolis dividing it into two sections — the north and the south. Before the Spanish conquistadores came, a thriving community flourished on the banks of the Pasig River. The lord of the riverside kingdom was Raha Sulayman who held court on the south side of the river while his uncle, Lakandula, ruled on the north side.

The Spaniards were set on conquering this community. After the savage Battle of Bangkusay, where they overtook the natives with their awesome firepower, the Spaniards conquered Manila.

In this Battle, Sulayman was killed. Realizing its strategic position as a trading center and military outpost, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, head of the Spanish expedition, promptly declared Manila the capital of the new colonies won by Spain.

On June 24, , Manila was declared the capital of the entire achipelago. Soon, Manila became a replica of a European medieval city. There were churches, palaces and city halls built in the Spanish baroque style. Work began on building a wall around the city to keep the pirates and Moros at bay. It took years to finish this wall. The end result was an astounding eight foot-thick, three mile-long wall, with two forts and a bastion, guns in place, manned by a force of 5, men and 10, reserves.

This walled city became known as Intramuros. Beautiful as it was, Intramuros stood as a perfect illustration of the discrimination at that time against the natives called Indios.

Although it was built by Indio workers and Chinese artisans, Intramuros was meant only for the clergy and the Spanish nobility. The natives could not enter except to work as servants. Outside the walls, in the arabales or suburbs, lived the Indios, the Chinese and other foreigners.

The diversity of trade and culture in the suburbs made it alive and interesting. Tondo, Binondo, Sta. Cruz, and Quiapo bustled with commerce. These places were home to the merchants, carpenters, blacksmiths, carriage makers, masons, and other artisans.

Over the centuries, the Spanish rule was occasionally threatened by attacks from the sea and by internal uprisings. The Chinese, Dutch and British all tried to lay siege on Manila but were unsuccessful.

This reform movement ultimately led to a revolution and by , the days of the Castilian rule were numbered. The most lasting legacy of the Spanish rule was the Catholic religion which makes the Philippines the only Christian nation in Asia.

But as soon as the Spaniards left, the Americans took over. The outbreak of war in the Pacific in disrupted American rule.