The Philippines: Geographic Facts
The Philippines is one of the hidden travel wonders of Asia. This country, located in the southeast part of the continent, is a delightful archipelago surrounded by clear turquoise waters on all sides and features a lovely tropical climate all year round. The stunning white-sand beaches on the coasts, the lush mountains on the central regions, the modern cities, and other interesting geographical features make the Philippines one of the best travel destinations in the Asian region.
The Philippine archipelago is made up of over 7,000 islands, which are situated between Taiwan and Borneo. On the east, the Philippine waters open up to the Pacific Ocean; on the west the archipelago is bounded by the South China Sea, on the north by the Bashi Channel, and the south by the Sulu and Celebes Seas.
The Philippine islands are divided into three regions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. These regions have a wide variety of interesting geographic features. The regions are named after the three major islands of the archipelago. Luzon is the biggest among the islands, and right in its heart is the National Capital Region. This northern island is home to vast expanses of hills and mountains, as well as some of the most industrialized cities in the country. Visayas, in the central region, is filled with sun-kissed white-sand beaches, while Mindanao in the south is home to lush tropical rainforests. These islands, other than the geographical features, also differ in terms of social, cultural, and political norms—making every experience in these different regions refreshingly unique.
Manila: The Nation’s Capital
Right in the heart of Luzon is Manila, the country’s centuries-old capital. This city started as a walled territory built by the Spanish colonizers. Manila, since the 1500’s, has been the crux of the Philippines’ commercial, political, social, artistic, cultural, and industrial activities.
At present, Manila is still home to the country’s seat of political power, although the other aspects of Philippine industry, commerce, and arts have branched out to neighboring cities, in an area now called as Metro Manila, or the National Capital Region. The region includes highly urbanized and modern cities like Pasig, Quezon City, Taguig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Makati, with their own central business districts.
Traveling around Metro Manila is possible through a network of roads connected to the main throughway, EDSA. The cities in the National Capital Region are also interconnected by several train systems.
Climate in the Philippines
The location of the archipelago in the southeast part of Asia gives the country a tropical climate. The country is mostly warm all year round, allowing the locals and visitors to enjoy beach weather almost every day. There are two main seasons in the Philippines is the dry season (equivalent to summer) and the monsoon season (rainy). The dry season occurs from March to June, while the monsoon season is typically observable from July to October. November to February are the months where the breeze is slightly colder, thanks to the cool winds originating from China in the winter.
The Philippines is great to visit all year round—you can drop by the amazing beaches even in the middle of December. Plus, the people are very friendly, and food and accommodation are very affordable and reasonable.