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Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
300,000 sq km
land area:
298,170 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
36,289 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
International disputes:
involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claims Malaysian state of Sabah
Climate:
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; air pollution in Manila
natural hazards: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; subject to landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunamis
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Tropical Timber
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of the Philippines
conventional short form:
local long form:
Republika ng Pilipinas
local short form:
Pilipinas
Digraph:
RP
Type:
republic
Capital:
Manila
Administrative divisions: 72 provinces and 61 chartered cities*; Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique, Aurora, Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Batangas City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*, Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*, Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*, Caloocan*, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*, Dapitan*, Davao City* Davao, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dipolog*, Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar, General Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao, Iligan*, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*, Iriga*, Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, La Carlota*, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La Union, Legaspi*, Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*, Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain, Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*, Oroquieta*, Ozamis*, Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasay*, Puerto Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*, Samar, San Carlos* (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos* (in Pangasinan), San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao*, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*, Tangub*, Tarlac, Tawitawi, Toledo*, Trece Martires*, Zambales, Zamboanga*, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur
Independence:
4 July 1946 (from US)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 June (1898) (from Spain)
Constitution:
2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
Legal system:
based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 15 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Fidel Valdes RAMOS (since 30 June 1992); Vice President Joseph Ejercito ESTRADA (since 30 June 1992); election last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1998); results - Fidel Valdes RAMOS won 23.6% of votes, a narrow plurality
cabinet: Executive Secretary; appointed by the president with the consent of the Commission of Appointments
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress (Kongreso)
Senate (Senado): elections last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1995); results - LDP 66%, NPC 20%, Lakas-NUCD 8%, Liberal 6%; seats - (24 total) LDP 15, NPC 5, Lakas-NUCD 2, Liberal 1, Independent 1
House of Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan): elections last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1995); results - LDP 43.5%; Lakas-NUCD 25%, NPC 23.5%, Liberal 5%, KBL 3%; seats - (200 total) LDP 87, NPC 45, Lakas-NUCD 41, Liberal 15, NP 6, KBL 3, Independent 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Filipino Struggle (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipinas, Laban), Edgardo ESPIRITU; People Power-National Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas ng Edsa, NUCD and Partido Lakas Tao, Lakas/NUCD); Fidel V. RAMOS, President of the Republic, Raul MANGLAPUS, Jose de VENECIA, secretary general; Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), Eduardo COJUANGCO; Liberal Party, Jovito SALONGA; People's Reform Party (PRP), Miriam DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO; New Society Movement (Kilusan Bagong Lipunan; KBL), Imelda MARCOS; Nacionalista Party (NP), Salvador H. LAUREL, president
Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Raul Chaves RABE
chancery: 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: (202) 483-1414
FAX: (202) 328-7614
consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s): San Diego and San Jose (Saipan)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE
embassy: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita Manila 1000
mailing address: APO AP 96440
telephone: [632] 521-7116
FAX: [632] 522-4361
consulate(s) general: Cebu
Flag:
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
Population
Population:
69,808,930 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.92% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
27.34 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
50.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Life expectancy at birth:
65.39 years
male:
62.88 years
female:
68.02 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.35 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Filipino(s)
adjective:
Philippine
Ethnic divisions:
Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%
Languages:
Pilipino (official; based on Tagalog), English (official)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 90%
male:
90%
female:
90%
Labor force:
24.12 million
by occupation:
agriculture 46%, industry and commerce 16%, services 18.5%, government 10%, other 9.5% (1989)
Economy
Overview:
Domestic output in this primarily agricultural economy failed to grow in 1992 and rose only slightly in 1993. Drought and power supply problems hampered production, while inadequate revenues prevented government pump priming. Worker remittances helped to supplement GDP. A marked increase in capital goods imports, particularly power generating equipment, telecommunications equipment, and electronic data processors, contributed to 20% import growth in both 1992 and 1993.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $171 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
1.4% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$2,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7
7.6% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
9.2% (1993)
Budget:
revenues:
$11.5 billion
expenditures:
$13 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.7 billion (1994 est.)
Exports:
$11.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: electronics, textiles, coconut products, cooper, fish
partners: US 39%, Japan 18%, Germany 5%, UK 5%, Hong Kong 5% (1992)
Imports:
$17.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: raw materials 40%, capital goods 25%, petroleum products 10%
partners: Japan 21%, US 18%, Taiwan 7%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Hong Kong 5%, South Korea 5% (1992)
External debt:
$34.1 billion (September 1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate -1% (1992 est.); accounts for 34% of GDP
accounts for about 20% of GDP and about 45% of labor force; major crops - rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangos; animal products - pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 2 million metric tons annually
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are producing more and better quality cannabis despite government eradication efforts; transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for the US
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1975-89), $123 million
3,219 km; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
Pipelines:
petroleum products 357 km
Ports:
Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila, Subic Bay
Merchant marine: 553 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,451,047 GRT/13,934,255 DWT, bulk 241, cargo 145, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 1, container 8, liquefied gas 3, livestock carrier 9, oil tanker 33, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 13, refrigerated cargo 27, roll-on/roll-off cargo 14, short-sea passenger 12, vehicle carrier 35
note: many Philippine flag ships are foreign owned and are on the register for the purpose of long-term bare-boat charter back to their original owners who are principally in Japan and Germany
Airports:
total:
270
usable:
238
with permanent-surface runways:
74
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
9
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
57
Communications
Telecommunications:
good international radio and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate; 872,900 telephones; broadcast stations - 267 AM (including 6 US), 55 FM, 33 TV (including 4 US); submarine cables extended to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 11 domestic
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