Part 593

Area: total area: 300,000 sq km land area: 298,170 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 36,289 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth

International disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claims Malaysian state of Sabah

Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m

Natural resources: timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper

Land use: arable land: 26% permanent crops: 11% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 40% other: 19%

Irrigated land: 16,200 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: uncontrolled deforestation in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in Manila; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps which are important fish breeding grounds natural hazards: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunamis international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Tropical Timber 94

People ------

Population: 74,480,848 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38% (male 14,486,214; female 14,026,873) 15-64 years: 58% (male 21,403,784; female 21,968,259) 65 years and over: 4% (male 1,165,810; female 1,429,908) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.18% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 29.51 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 6.66 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female all ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.91 years male: 63.14 years female: 68.83 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Filipino(s) adjective: Philippine

Ethnic divisions: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%

Languages: Pilipino (official, based on Tagalog), English (official)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 94.6% male: 95% female: 94.3%

Government ----------