Perlas ng Silangan

Philippines

The Philippines is known as the Pearl of Orient Seas because of its rare scenic views and tourist attractions. It lies within the Pacific basin and has a tropical climate. Rainy season normally occurs from June to December. Mid- January is the start of summer but the months of March and April are the warmest.

The Philippine island is an archipelago of over 7,000 islands lying about 500 mi (805 km) off the southeast coast of Asia. About 500 of the islands are larger than 1 one square mile and 2,500 do not have name yet. With a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometers (116,000 sq mi) only 2000 islands are inhabited. From North to South the Philippines stretches 1,156 miles, and from East to West 687 miles. The highest Peak is Mt. Apo in Mindanao at 7,385 ft. Mt. Pulog in North Luzon is the second at 7,325 ft. The largest river system is in the Mindanao region, which is known as the "Rio Grande de Mindanao"

Philippines have three principal islands: Luzon, the largest, Mindanao, where most Filipino-Muslims reside and Visayas, the smallest among the islands. Neighboring countries are Taiwan to the north, Hong Kong to the northwest, Brunei and Malaysia to the southwest and Vietnam to the west.

Mountains, caves, rivers and lakes are numerous in the Philippines. Volcanoes and waterfalls, on the other hand, are the most popular attractions too. Countless of beach resorts are also a favorite.  Taal Volcano is recorded as the smallest volcano in the world, situated in the southern part of Luzon. Another fascinating view is the amazing Banaue Rice Terraces in the Cordillera Administrative Region. A contour-plowed rice terraces situated on the mountainsides of Benguet which form a natural set of stairs. It is called the 8th wonders of the world in the Philippines.

Baguio, is the summer capital of the Philippines. The coolest place there is in the country with the lowest temperature of -9 degrees Celsius. It is situated on the highly-elevated provinces of northern Luzon. Manila is the capital of the country, the 2^nd largest city in Luzon.