Philippines
Asia ยท Capital: Manila
How it is run: Philippines is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Philippines is home to 116.8 million people in South-Eastern Asia, where people speak English, Filipino.
Numbers that tell a story ๐ข
๐ฅ People
116.8 million people
That is 1.4% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
๐บ๏ธ Land
342,353 kmยฒ
Bigger than Texas โ a long road trip from one side to the other.
๐๏ธ How crowded
About 341 people per square kilometre โ busy towns with countryside in between.
๐ Size in its region
7th most people in Asia
18th largest by land in Asia.
๐ฃ๏ธ Official languages
English, Filipino
More than one language is used for official business.
๐ฐ Money
Philippine peso (โฑ)
Life here today ๐ฉบ
These come from World Bank open data โ the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
โค๏ธ How long people live
69.9 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
๐ผ Money made per person each year
about US$4,171
A lower-middle-income country: incomes are rising, but many families still farm or work informally.
๐ข Living in cities
55.8% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
๐ Kids under 15
27.1% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details ๐งญ
๐ Phone code
+63
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
๐ Websites end in
.ph
๐ง People here are called
Filipino
๐ท๏ธ Name at home
Philippines ยท Pilipinas
Also written: Republic of the Philippines, Repรบblika ng Pilipinas.
๐ Coast or inland
Has a coastline
๐๏ธ UN voting group
Asia and the Pacific Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders ๐ค
Philippines has no land borders at all. It is surrounded by water, so boats and planes are the way in and out.
Say its name around the world ๐ฃ๏ธ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Filipinas
French
Philippines
Arabic
ุงูููุจูู
Chinese
่ฒๅพๅฎพ
Japanese
ใใฃใชใใณ
Russian
ะคะธะปะธะฟะฟะธะฝั
Portuguese
Filipinas
German
Philippinen
Put it in perspective ๐
- India โ the most populated country in Asia โ has about 12.5ร as many people as Philippines.
- Philippines covers roughly 3,261 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Philippines lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 58,393 km.
Flags through time ๐
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Philippines change.
First Republic
Raised when the Philippines declared independence from Spain.
Modern Philippines
Flipped upside down โ red on top โ it means the country is at war.
Fast facts ๐ง
Fact of the day: The capital of Philippines is Manila โ that's where the country's big decisions get made.
๐ท๏ธ Official name
Republic of the Philippines
๐๏ธ Capital
Manila
๐ Region
Asia ยท South-Eastern Asia
๐ค Country code
PH
๐๏ธ UN status
UN member state
๐ฉ Independence
Independent country
More about Philippines ๐
Banaue rice terraces
Steps of rice paddies carved into mountainsides about 2,000 years ago and still farmed by hand today.
See it in Street View๐งญ Where on the map
13.0ยฐ N, 122.0ยฐ E
๐ Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
๐ฐ๏ธ Clock check
Roughly UTC+8 โ when it is noon in London it is about 20:00 in Manila.
- Philippines is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly โ the same as every other member, big or small.
- ๐ต๐ญ is the flag of Philippines. Its country code โ the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics โ is PH.
- The capital of Philippines is Manila โ that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- Philippines shares its part of the world with Timor-Leste. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Philippines is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
Countries nearby ๐ค
Talk about it ๐ฌ
- Philippines has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Philippines can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Philippines spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz ๐งช
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Philippines?
Manila
Which money do people spend in Philippines?
Philippine peso (โฑ)
How many countries share a land border with Philippines?
None โ no land neighbours at all.
Roughly how many people live in Philippines?
116.8 million people
Keep researching ๐
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further โ and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here โ kid-friendly encyclopedias ๐
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ๐๏ธ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy ๐ฐ
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card ๐ซ
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians โ all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.