| On the eve of his execution by
the Spanish colonialists in 1896, Jose Rizal, the famous filipino
nationalist, called his homeland the "Pearl of the Orient Seas".
The Philippines is situated at
a crossroads of the Pacific Ocean and the South China and Sulu Seas.
Philippines, also referred to as the 'archipelago', has welcomed people
from the East and West, creating a human mixture sustained by the
enormous tropical resources.
Some 30,000 years ago the
earliest inhabitants had arrived from the Asian mainland, perhaps over
land bridges built during the ice ages. By the tenth century A.D.
coastal villagers welcomed Chinese commerce and settlers, followed by
Muslim traders from Borneo. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan claimed the land
for Spain, whose imperial rule lasted until the United States of America
gained possession after victories in the Spanish-American War in 1898
and the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1901. United States
authority, although interrupted by the Japanese occupation during World
War II, led to independence for a republic founded on July 4, 1946. |
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There are 55.6 million
Filipinos that inhabit about 700 of the nation's 7,100 islands. Cultural
distinctions remain among the nation's more than 75 ethnic groups.
The Philippines was once a
showcase of democrary until Ferdinand Marcos came into power: the
country then saw political turmoil and the imposition of martial law;
widespread unemployment expanded the gap between lower-class poor and a
rich, favored elite. In 1986, the Filipinos replaced Marcos with the
nation's first female president, Corazon Aquino.
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