The Philippines is an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia, consisting of over 7,600 islands located between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. With a total land area of about 300,000 square kilometers, the country is divided into three main island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital is Manila, while Quezon City is the largest in terms of population.
In 2025, the Philippines had an estimated population of over 116,786,963 people (Source: UN), making it the second-most populous country in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. The majority of Filipinos are Roman Catholic—over 80%—making the Philippines one of the few predominantly Christian nations in Asia. The population is young and growing, with a large labor force both domestically and overseas.
The Philippines operates as a unitary presidential constitutional republic. Its political landscape is highly dynamic, often shaped by personality-driven politics and regional power structures. Although democratic institutions exist, the country continues to face challenges such as corruption, political dynasties, and regional insurgencies.
Economically, the Philippines is classified as an emerging market and a developing economy. It has a service-oriented economy with strong remittance inflows from its large overseas workforce, which contributes significantly to GDP. The country also has growing sectors in business process outsourcing (BPO), tourism, and manufacturing. While the economy showed resilience in 2024, it still faces persistent issues such as poverty, underemployment, and inadequate infrastructure.
Republic of the Philippines