Land area

300,179 sq km

Population

88.6m (August 2007 census)

Main towns

Population in '000 (2007)

Metro Manila (National Capital Region): 11,553 Taguig City: 613

Quezon City: 2,679 Valenzuela: 569

Manila (capital): 1,661 Cagayan de Oro: 554

Kalookan: 1,379 Paranaque: 553

Davao: 1,363 Las Pinas: 532

Cebu: 799 General Santos City: 530

Zamboanga: 774 Bacolod: 499

Pasig: 617 Iloilo: 419

Climate

Tropical

Weather in Manila (altitude 14 metres)

Hottest month, May, 24-34°C; coldest month, January, 21-30°C (average daily minimum and maximum); driest month, February, 13 mm average rainfall; wettest month, July, 432 mm average rainfall

Languages

Filipino (Tagalog), English and Spanish; many local dialects

Weights and measures

Metric system; also some local units

Currency

Peso (P); P1 = 100 centavos. Average exchange rate in 2010: P45.1:US$1

Time

8 hours ahead of GMT

Fiscal year

January-December

Public holidays

January 1st (New Year's Day); February 25th (EDSA Revolution Day); April 21st (Maundy Thursday); April 22nd (Good Friday); April 11th (Valour Day); May 2nd (Labour Day); June 12th (Independence Day); August 21st (Ninoy Aquino Day); August 29th (National Heroes' Day); November 1st (All Saints' Day); November 30th (Bonifacio Day); December 25th (Christmas Day); December 30th (Rizal Day); December 31st (New Year's Eve)