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The Philippines is an archipelago made up of more than 7000 islands spanning 1,840 kilometres from north to south. It is part of the East Indies, a vast island group lying south and east of mainland Asia, with Taiwan at its northernmost coast and Borneo on the south.
The Philippines has a landmass of 300,780 square kilometres and is considered a medium-sized nation being about two-thirds the size of Spain (its first colonizer), and a little larger than the British Isles. There are three main island groups. Luzon (North), the Visayas (Central) and Mindanao (South).
Manila is 15 hours from the west coast of America and flights from Europe take around 17 hours. Sydney Australia is 7 ½ hours away and Hong Kong is only 40 minutes.
Language
While there are over 100 regional languages in the Philippines, the national language is Filipino, with English as the most widely spoken second language. All business, governmental and legal transactions are conducted in English.
Weather
The Philippines is tropical with just two seasons--hot and dry from November to June, and rainy from July to October. Filipinos will tell you that it is cool from December through February and they themselves will wear jackets.
Currency
The currency in the Philippines is the Peso (PhP) and the Centavo. 100 centavos = P1. Coin denominations are: 1, 5, 10, and 25 centavos, P1, and P5. Bill denominations are : 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1, 000 pesos.
Utilities
Electricity is 220 volts a/c. Many of the major tourist hotels also have 110 volt a/c outlets.
Water
Water supply in Metro Manila and in all the other major cities are considered potable. Bottled purified water, spring water or mineral water is often supplied by hotels and resorts, and sold in all grocery stores.
Visas
A 21 day Visa is automatically issued upon arrival for foreigners entering the country provided that you have valid passports and tickets to leave the Philippines. Visas are required only for stateless persons and citizens of countries with which the Philippines have no diplomatic relations. A temporary visitor's visa is required for those who are planning to stay up to 59 days. Vaccination certificates may be necessary for long term stays. Holders of Hongkong and Taiwan passports need special permits. All visas and permits may be obtained from Philippine embassies and consulates.
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