The Philippines (Filipino: Pilipinas), officially the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas), is an island nation located in the Malay archipelago in Southeast Asia, with Manila as its capital. It lies 1,210 kilometers (750 mi) from mainland Asia and comprises 7,107 islands called the Philippine Archipelago, approximately 700 of which are inhabited.

The Philippines is a significant source of migrant workers; there are over 8 million overseas Filipinos and their remittances exceed $12 billion a year, an amount that forms a significant portion of the Philippines' gross national product. The Philippines is also an important destination for outsourcing and is an exporter of electronics, but its economy is largely agricultural. Manila, its densely populated capital, has been designated as a global city.

The country's name originated with Ruy López de Villalobos naming the islands of Samar and Leyte "Las Islas Filipinas," after King Philip II of Spain during his failed expedition in 1543. The archipelago was known under various names such as Spanish East Indies, New Castille (Nueva Castilla) and the St. Lazarus Islands (Islas de San Lázaro). Ultimately, the name Filipinas came to refer to the entire archipelago.

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New up and coming fighter Mercito Gesta from Cebu, Phillipines got defense, plus is a power puncher http://t.co/gA8aA0s6.
jerrrica (jer) Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:09:32 -0000
New up and coming fighter Mercito Gesta from Cebu, Phillipines got defense, plus is a power puncher http://t.co/gA8aA0s6.
Phillipines govts attempts to sway catholic opinion on contraception - maybe POPE should face Crimes against humanity charges.
itscol (Col Reid) Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:45:50 -0000
Phillipines govts attempts to sway catholic opinion on contraception - maybe POPE should face Crimes against humanity charges.
Top Wine Article: More than Malbec (Phillipines): http://t.co/vVCB1rrW< Subscribe to Phillipines RSS feed