CLASSIFICATIONS

Land Area :
300,000 sq. km.; of which 1,830 sq. km. is water, 298,170 sq. km land.

Coastline :
36,289 kilometers

Geography :
Archipelago of 7,107 islands and islets off the southern coast of mainland Asia; Three Main Islands - Luzon, the biggest island group, Visayas and Mindanao .

Location :
Located east of Vietnam , south of Taiwan , Surrounded by Pacific Ocean to the east, Celebes Sea on the south, and the South China Sea to the west and north.

Capital City :
Manila (Land Area 38.3 sq. km.)

Government :
Democratic Presidential

Political System :
Presidential system of government with 3 equal branches: the executive, legislative and Judiciary.

Literacy Rate :
94.6% of total population, the highest rate in Southeast Asia, and vs. Hongkong and Taiwan .

Languages Spoken :
Filipino, English; and other regional dialects

Religions :
Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%

Climate :
Tropical with temperature ranging 23-32° C
temperature of 27°C (82°F).
Two distinct seasons: (dry - November to May);
(wet - June to October).

Population :
87.7 Million in 2006

Ethnic Profile :
Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, others 3%

Currency Unit :
Philippine peso (US $ 1.00 = Php 41.00 approx in January 2008)

Business Hours :

0800 – 1700 (Private/ Government and offices)
0900 – 1500 (Banks)
1000 – 2000 (Store Malls)

Universities and Colleges : 1,789

Graduates Annually : Secondary school, over one million; college level, 405,000.

Employment Rate : 91.8 % (as of April 2006)


Principal Exports : Electronics, Semiconductor, IT-enabled services, Telecommunication Parts/ Equipment, Garments and clothing accessories, Automotive Components, Food processing, financial services; retail trade, Furniture, Gifts, Toys & Jewelry.

Principal Markets : Japan , USA , Singapore , Hongkong & European Countries

Time Zone : GMT + 8 hours

Investments Promotions and Trade Agencies : Board Of Investments & PEZA