The World and Its People

"The Philippines"

Introduction
In this chapter, you learned about the history, geography, and cultures of Southeast Asia. The Philippines, one of Southeast Asia's island countries, is unique from the rest of the region in several ways. Named after King Philip II of Spain, it was a Spanish colony for more than 300 years. It also is the only Christian nation in Southeast Asia, with most of its neighboring populations practicing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. In this activity, you will learn more about the people, economy, and customs of the Philippines.

Destination Title: Asian Info-Philippines

Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window.
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Directions
Start at the Asian Info Web site.

• Click on Philippines in the list of countries on the left of the screen.
• Click on Economy. Read the information presented.
• Return to the Philippines' main screen, and click on and explore the links People and Languages.
• Return to the main screen once more, and explore the Customs link.
• Answer the following questions.

1			What is the currency used in the Philippines? Why do you think this is so?
2			Describe the Philippines' main commercial crops. Who are its main trading partners?
3			What did the term Filipino originally mean?
4			Summarize three customs found in the Philippines.
5			Use the information from the Web site to create a fact sheet about the Philippines. Your fact sheet should include at least 10 facts about the capital, climate, physical features, languages, religions, historical sites, type of government, government leaders, resources, products, current events, and any other interesting facts about the Philippines. Include pictures or drawings to illustrate your fact sheet.