The Philippines is a rich tropical archipelago of 7,107 islands stretching gracefully over the western Pacific Ocean, situated about 700 miles (1,130 km) east of the Indochinese peninsula. It is roughly the size of Italy and is the world's second-largest archipelago after Indonesia.
Based on its strategic location, the country is blessed with abundant natural resources which has attracted traders, explorers and adventurers for centuries.
The country was named after King Philip II of Spain in 1543, twenty-two years before Spain established a permanent colonial presence here. What the Philippines is today is a legacy of these early visitors. Language, art culture, ethnology, religion and architecture were influenced by settlers from powerful empires.
Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are the three main islands that make up the Philippines:
Luzon is the largest, most populous and northern-most of the main islands making up the Philippine archipelago; contains 24 of the country's 72 provinces, plus the city of Manila -- the country's premier international gateway and is the nation's political, social, cultural, commercial and transportation capital. The county's business capital, Makati City, is also located here. Pilipino (Tagalog) and English are the main language.
Visayas is the general name given to the islands that occupies the central portion of the archipelago, between Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the south. It is composed of the principal islands of Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, and Masbate. Cebu City (known as the Queen City of the South), with its international airport and thriving deep water harbor, is the most important commercial and business center outside of Metro Manila; it is also the transportation center of the Visayas region. Aside from Pilipino and English, Visayan is basically the dialect spoken in these areas.
Mindanao the second largest island in the Philippines, is bounded by the Philippine Sea on the east, the Celebes Sea on the south, the Sulu Sea on the west, and the Mindanao Sea on the north. The island consists of 12 provinces: Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Bukidnon, Agusan, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Cotabato, and Davao.
