Philippines: Introduction

The Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. It is an archipelago made up of 7,106 islands located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait. Proximate countries include Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The geography is mountainous with narrow coastal lowlands. The government system is a republic; the chief of state and head of government is the president. The Philippines has a mixed economic system that includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. The Philippines is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).