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History of the Philippines.
On the eve of his execution by the Spanish colonialists in
1896, Jose Rizal, the famous filipino nationalist, called
his homeland the "Pearl of the Orient Seas".
The Philippines is situated at a crossroads of the Pacific
Ocean and the South China and Sulu Seas. Philippines, also
referred to as the 'archipelago', has welcomed people from the
East and West, creating a human mixture sustained by the enormous
tropical resources.
Some 30,000 years ago the earliest inhabitants had arrived from
the Asian mainland, perhaps over land bridges built during the ice
ages. By the tenth century A.D. coastal villagers welcomed Chinese
commerce and settlers, followed by Muslim traders from Borneo. In
1521, Ferdinand Magellan claimed the land for Spain, whose
imperial rule lasted until the United States of America gained
possession after victories in the Spanish-American War in 1898 and
the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1901. United States
authority, although interrupted by the Japanese occupation during
World War II, led to independence for a republic founded on July
4, 1946.
There are 77 million Filipinos that inhabit about 700 of the
nation's 7,100 islands. Cultural distinctions remain among the
nation's more than 75 ethnic groups.
The Philippines was once a showcase of democrary until
Ferdinand Marcos came into power: the country then saw political
turmoil and the imposition of martial law; widespread unemployment
expanded the gap between lower-class poor and a rich, favored
elite. In 1986, the Filipinos replaced Marcos with the nation's
first female president, Corazon Aquino.
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