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Geography of the Philippines essay

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Geography

Geography and climate have always had very potent effects on culture. Geography, or the study of relationships between people and locations on Earth, very often shapes the way people live and interact with each other. Climate, or the prevailing weather patterns over time of a region, also has drastic effects on society and cultures, and these statements are especially true in the South East Asian nation of the Philippines.

The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelago, or chain of islands, located off the south-eastern coast of Asia. Consisting of over 7,000 volcanic islands with a total land area of nearly 300,000 square kilometers (approximately the size of Arizona), islands of the Philippines are predominantly …show more content…

This shows advancements in medicine and modernized facilities for people to be treated. There is one hospital bed available for every 860 people, and a physician for every 849 people. These ratios are very good for the region, neighboring countries are no where near that equipped for the care of ill people.

Political Issues

The Republic of the Philippines is, as stated, a republic. The "Head of State" is an elected president. The country is divided into 73 provinces under one Union, as illustrated in "Map #3", though only the 55 largest provinces are shown since the others are not visible to the map's scale. The national capital is Manila on the island of Luzon. There are approximately 150,000 active defense troops stationed in the country for various purposes. The only government-recognized official languages are Filipino and English. A universal law of suffrage grants anyone 18 years of age or older the right to vote on elected officials and any other deeds requiring a majority vote from the public. The government is stable and reliable to citizens, with a sturdy court system based on Spanish and American concepts and an executive branch that enforces laws efficiently.

Economy

The Filipino economy is based strongly on services and labor, as is shown in the chart for "Philippine GDP Sector Composition". The sectors for agriculture and industry are both less than

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