Date of Independence:

 1898 (from Spain)

 1946 (from the United States of America)

Date of Admission to the United Nations: 24 October 1945 (Founding Member)

Geographical Size: 300,000 sq. km.

Population: 100.98 million (2015 official figures)

Ethnic Make-up:

 Tagalog 24.4%

 Cebuano 9.9%

 Ilocano 8.8%

 Bisaya 11.4%

 Hiligaynon 8.4%

 Bicolano 6.8%

 Waray 4%

 Other Foreign Ethnicity 0.07%

 Other Local Ethnicity 26.1%

 Others Not Stated 0.007%

Religious Mix

 Roman Catholic 79.5%

 Islam 6%

 Iglesia ni Cristo 2.6%

 Evangelicals 2.4%

 Other Local Ethnic Relig…