Republic of the Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago consisting more than 7000 islands and islets in the Pacific Ocean. The island country is naturally linked by nautical passages to Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan. The country’s population is about to reach 110 million, with the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) being the most densely populated city in the world (ca. 15 million inhabitants). The Philippines, due to its special history, differs from most of the ASEAN countries culturally: it’s the second most-populous Asian country with English as an official language, and one of only two dominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia – these Anglo-European characteristics can be traced in everyday life and business practices as well. ( www.britannica.com )