The Philippine Empire was inhabited by various Paleolithic peoples over 20,000 years ago. Neolithic culture originated in the islands around 9,000 BCE, and around the 15th century BCE worked on metals on the islands. The indigenous peoples of this period have since survived without interfering with the peoples who have since immigrated.
| Land area | 300,000 km² |
| Total population | 109.180.815 |
| Residents per km² | 363.9 |
| Capital | Manila |
| Official language | Tagalog (Pilipino) and English |
| Income per capita | $ 8,400 |
| Currency | Philippine peso |
| ISO 3166 code | PH |
| Internet TLD | .ph |
| License plate | RP |
| Telephone code | +63 |
| Time zone UTC | +8 |
| Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 122 00 O |
During the period from the 2nd to the 15th centuries, significant migration from present-day Indonesia and Malaysia took place. The newcomers organized themselves into clans. Unlike the rest of the Malay world, they were largely unaffected by classical Indian culture. From the 11th and 12th centuries, Muslim, Japanese and Chinese merchant ships arrived in the islands, and eventually groups from these ships settled as traders and craftsmen. In the 15th century, Islamization of the islands in the southern part of the country occurred after the arrival of many Muslims of Malay origin. They created sultanates.
1531 Spanish colonization
The archipelago was “discovered” by the Spaniard Hernando de Magallanes in 1531 and named in honor of the Spanish king Felipe. But the islands were also sought after by the English, the Dutch and the Portuguese. Magallanes was killed on one of the islands’ beaches, and Spanish supremacy was first secured in 1564. The Igorot people of the northern Cordillera region, the Muslim population of Mindanao and other peoples never bowed completely to the Spanish colonization. The majority of rural people retained subsistence farming and never paid tribute to Europeans. These various groups of people – including the Chinese – rose several times to revolt against the Spaniards, but were defeated each time.
According to thesciencetutor, the Spanish colonization of the Philippines is similar to that which took place in Latin America. However, the country had two distinctive features: Its location by the oceanic trade routes. It received goods from all over the Southeast Asian region, which were to advance to the center of colonial power. Furthermore, it was directly subject to the Viceroy of Mexico.
1898 The United States conquers the country
In the late 19th century, a local independence movement developed, consisting of the local mestiz bourgeoisie – which sought political power – as well as other oppressed sectors. The anti-colonial uprising broke out in 1896 and on June 12, 1898, the country’s independence was declared. The United States initiated immediate diplomatic activity to take control of the country. It ended with the Paris Treaty, signed on December 10, which ended the Spanish-North American War (see also Cuba and Puerto Rico). During negotiations that the Philippines did not have access to, Spain agreed to relinquish the Philippines to the United States for compensation.
During the period 1899-1911, 1 million Filipinos died during the fighting against the North American occupation, led by General Douglas MacArthur. US rule was typically neo-colonialist; The economy became entirely subordinate to the United States, while the occupying power also prepared the country for future political independence. It happened through the development of a Filipino elite that was economically and culturally bound to the United States. At the same time, a part of this policy was the so-called Tydings-Mc Duffie Act, which was passed by the United States Congress in 1934. It gave the Philippines internal independence within a state society with the United States in charge of defense and foreign policy. By 1944, the country should have full independence. However, it was fueled by World War II when the archipelago was occupied by Japan. During the battle against the new occupation force, theChop the movement formed. It had its basis among the peasants and was socially inspired. But the United States returned at the end of the war, this time led by General Mac Arthur Junior. The country gained formal independence in 1946, but remained subject to complete North American economic dominance.
