Philippines

Where the name comes from

The Philippines honours Philip II of Spain; explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named Leyte and Samar Felipinas in 1543, and the name later spread to the whole archipelago.

First people

Austronesian-speaking communities linked the islands with maritime Southeast Asia.¹

Known for

The Philippines is known for the Banaue rice terraces and for having more than 7,000 islands; in 1986, People Power protests helped remove Ferdinand Marcos.^2,3

Outside rule

Spanish colonization began in 1565.¹

The modern country

After an independence declaration in 1898, the US took over, Japan occupied the islands in 1942–1945, and full independence came in 1946.¹