The Philippines is a tropical country in Pacific Ocean, blessed with beautiful natural landscapes - and active volcanoes and extreme weather patterns. The Philippines, consisting of some 7,107 islands,is the 73rd-largest country in the world by surface area and ponds are inhabited by no fewer than 2,000 varieties of fish.The Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 in recognition of their abundance and diversity of marine life; in 2009 the boundaries of the World Heritage site were extended to triple its original size.
Its capital, Manila, is the second largest city in the country after Quezon City (the former capital) - and home to most of the country's educational and political institutions.