Portal:Philippines

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The Philippines Portal

The Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas), or the Philippines (Filipino: Pilipinas), also known as "the Pearl of the Orient Seas", is a nation located in southeast Asia. It lies 1,210 km (750 mi) away from mainland Asia and consists of 7,107 islands that form the Philippine Archipelago. It is also part of the Malay Archipelago.

The country's name was first given by Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos to the islands of Samar and Leyte, calling them Las Islas Felipinas after King Philip II of Spain during his expedition in 1543. The archipelago was known under various names such as New Castille (Nueva Castilla), Western Islands (Islas del Poniente), the Manilas, the St. Lazarus Islands (Islas de San Lázaro) and others. Ultimately, Filipinas came to refer to the entire archipelago.

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The history of the Philippines begins with the arrival of the first humans in the Philippines by land bridges, while the first recorded history of the Philippines was scripted by Europeans beginning with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan on Homonhon Island. Permanent settlements in the island of Cebu were established with the expedition of Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565, starting the era of Spanish colonization that lasted for more than three centuries. This period saw the political unification of the Philippine archipelago, the flourishing of trade including the Manila Galleon, the spread of Christianity, the development of infrastructures, and the establishment of schools, universities and hospitals, mostly by religious orders. The Philippine Revolution against Spain began in 1896, culminating two years later with a proclamation of independence and the establishment of the First Philippine Republic. However, the Treaty of Paris in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War transferred control of the Philippines to the United States. Full independence was only granted to the Philippines in July 1946. With a promising economy in the 1950s and 1960s second only to Japan, the Philippines in the late 1960s and early 1970s saw a rise of student activism and civil unrest against the corrupt dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos who declared martial law in 1972. The peaceful and bloodless 1986 EDSA Revolution brought about the ouster of Marcos and a return to democracy for the country. The period since then, however, has been marked by political instability and hampered economic productivity. (more...) Nominate an article • Archive edit

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Lapu-Lapu was the Datu of Mactan whose forces defeated Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan at the Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521. According to Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan, who was in the process of colonizing Cebu and the Visayas, invaded Mactan at the behest of another local ruler and ally. Magellan's men, outnumbered, retreated as Magellan himself sufferred a fatal wound and died.

Photo credit: User:Wng and SunKing.

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