The Philippines

          The first people that came to the islands were the Malays, which migrated from the Indonesia Archipelago over 20,000 years ago.  The early settlers separated into 50 tribes and spoke more than 83 different languages.  Chinese traders visited the Philippines as early as 300 A.D.  Trading took place by the year 1000 and they started to build colonies.  By 1400, they settled and were now a part of culture.  Spanish influence began in 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan discovered the islands.  This began the Spanish conquest that lasted over 300 years.  Then in 1898, the Unites States took over.  Americans brought with them new language, culture, and cuisine. 

        Located between Taiwan and Borneo, the Philippines is an archipelago that consists of 7,107 islands with 76 million people.  The Philippines rests in the Pacific Ocean.  The three main islands are Luzon, Visaya, and Mindanao.  It’s capital, Manila, has over 12 million people and is located in Luzon.    

Photo credit: Sonny Gomez