Philippines
Republic of the Philippines
Local name: Pilipinas
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- Capital
- Manila
- Population
- 116.8 million
- 14th in the world (2025)
- Area
- 342,353 km²
- 63rd in the world
- Density
- 341 people/km²
- 24th in the world
In brief
The Philippines are a country in Southeast Asia. Their capital is Manila. With 116.8 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 14th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Their area is 342,353 km². An island nation, the Philippines have no land border.
GDP per capita stands at $4,171 (2025), 127th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 69.9 years (2024). 56% of the population lives in cities.
History of the Philippines
Settled by Austronesian seafarers, the archipelago saw Magellan arrive in 1521; he was killed that same year by the chief Lapulapu. Spain colonised it from 1565 and named it after King Philip II. The revolution of 1896 led to the declaration of independence on 12 June 1898, but the United States took control after defeating Spain. Occupied by Japan in the Second World War, the Philippines became independent on 4 July 1946. The peaceful “People Power” revolution overthrew the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. It is the largest Catholic country in Asia.
Geography of the Philippines
An archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, grouped around Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. Lying on the Pacific Ring of Fire, it has many volcanoes, such as Pinatubo, whose 1991 eruption was one of the largest of the 20th century, and it is hit by typhoons every year.
Map of the Philippines
Flag of the Philippines
The flag of the Philippines is red, white and blue. Its official proportions are 1:2 (height to width).
- Blue39%
- Red39%
- White18%
- Yellow4%
Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.
What the flag stands for
Blue over red, with a white triangle bearing a gold sun of eight rays, for the eight provinces that first rose against Spain, and three stars for Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. In wartime it is flown with red on top.
Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Philippines” and “Flag of the Philippines”.
See also: flags with a star, flags with a sun.
Download the flag (SVG) All 33 red, white and blue flags All the flags of the world
Fact file
| Official name | Republic of the Philippines |
|---|---|
| Capital | Manila |
| Official languages | English, Filipino |
| Currency | Philippine peso (PHP, ₱) |
| Demonym | Filipino |
| Continent | Asia, Southeast Asia |
| Access to the sea | Yes, island nation |
| Area | 342,353 km² |
| Calling code | +63 |
| Internet domain | .ph |
| UN status | Member state |
Economy and society
GDP per capita
$4,171
127th in the world (2025)
Life expectancy
69.9 years
at birth (2024)
Urban population
56%
Sources: World Bank (2025) for population and economy, Natural Earth for the map, mledoze/countries and Wikidata for reference data. Method.