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Student Name: Country (formal name): Republic of the Philippines Region of the world: Southeast Asia Bordering countries (or nearest countries if an island state): Taiwan, Vietnam, Borneo, Indonesia and China are the closest countries to the Philippines. Population and world rank in population: Philippines is world’s 12th largest independent nation with 103, 775, 002 residents estimated in 2012. Current President or Prime Minister (List both if two): The current president of the Republic of Philippines is Benigno Aquino. He is both the chief of state and the head of government. Is this country a strong democracy, weak democracy, authoritarian government or dictatorship: Philippines is a strong democracy. Year of independence as a unified state: In 1898 independence was proclaimed from Spain, in 1946 the country became independent from the United States. In 1900-1970, was the country a colony of an imperial power? Which country and when?: The Philippines was a US colony from 1898 to 1935. It became a self-governing commonwealth in 1935. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during WWII, but it regained its independence in 1946. In the 1900-2000, was it ever in a major war? Which? Years?: The Philippines fought in Philippine-American War in 1899 – 1902. The Philippines was invaded by Japan and fought in WWII (1939-1945). Other wars include The Hukbalahap Rebellion war (1946-1954), Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1964-1973). Gross Domestic Product ($ billions) and world rank (2011): GDP is $240. 7 billion. It is number 33 in comparison to the world. Per Capita Income (U. S. $) and world rank: 4, 119 is Per Capita Income according the the World Bank estimate. This puts the Philippines in 121st place compared to the world. What are its major exports: The Philippines major exports go to Japan, US, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. Who are its major trading partners (list at least 3): The United States, Japan and Singapore are the top three trading partners for the Philippines. Other trading partners are Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany and others. Philippines is an economy on the rise. It is no longer the sick man of East Asia, it is the rising tiger as said by the Philippine president Mr. Aquino. This is the reason I chose to do a country report on the Republic of the Philippines. It is an exciting country from all points of view. It is growing rapidly as an independent democratic nation and the economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. If I look at it from another point of view, it is a mesmerizing country in terms of its natural beauty. Philippines consists of over seven thousand islands from which several are inhabited, all have breathtaking beaches, sky scraping volcanos and beauty which can not be put in worlds. Filipino resident’s lives are very diverse. There are large developed cities such as the capital Manila with shopping, government and white collar jobs, but there are also people living below the poverty line on a single small island which they have never left. This is what inspired me to do a report on Philippines and learn more about this mysterious country. Philippines was one of the stronger East Asian countries, but when they became a colony they lost their power. Since they regained their independence after World War II, the Philippine government has been working towards preparing its citizens for a change and rise in economy. The President Aquino has worked hard and the country’s GDP growth rate has exceeded expectations in the past few years. Same as the President of the United States addressed in the State of the Union 2013, there is still so much to do, we still have relatively high unemployment and there are millions of people living under the poverty line. Philippine president has said the same thing to its citizens, and he seems to do his best to keep his promises and work for the good of all citizens, no matter how wealthy or poor they are. I find the similarities between the United States and the Philippines quite interesting. Based on what I have learned so far, I believe that the two most important national interests of the country are to promote the rights and welfare of its people, and to promote economic diplomacy to support national development. To promote the rights and welfare to its people is important if Philippines wants to regain its power in East Asia. A huge 26. 5% of the country’s residents currently live below the poverty line, if Philippines wants to follow in the footsteps of the US, the welfare of these people need to improve. The second national interest is to keep the nation developing. Philippines is a nation moving forward and looking toward a new chapter, it is a progressive country with lots of potential. The Filipino government needs to continue working hard, because with the potential that this country has, they could become one of the most powerful countries in Asia. The Republic of Philippines will definitely grow its importance to the world in the upcoming decade. Right now it is considered a rising economy and a relatively important country in East Asia. In about 10 years, I believe that it will be considered a powerful country on the world rank, not just in Asia. This country is already moving fast, with the technology, energy and intelligence growing in the rate that it is around the world, Philippines won’t stay behind. References The CIA World Fact Book (2012) Philippines. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp. html Embassy of the Philippines, Washington D. C. (2010) Philippines Background. Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www. philippineembassy-usa. org/philippines-dc/embassy-dc/ Wikipedia (2013) Philippines. Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Philippines