Philippines Facts for Kids | Island of Gold and Copper Deposits

Located at the western part of the Pacific Ocean, Philippines is an island country of Southeast Asia. Philippines is situated at the Ring of Fire of the Pacific Ocean. Ring of Fire is a region in the Pacific which contains 452 volcanoes and thus, Philippines is always in danger of a large number of earthquakes. However, it is also home to some of the greatest species of animals and plants in the world. The largest island of Philippines is called Luzon. It ranks 15^th among the largest islands of the world. In terms of population, it is ranked at the fourth position in the world. Now let’s discover more about it in Philippines facts for kids!

A Quick Guide to Philippines Facts for Kids

Capital City: Manila

Largest Island: Luzon

National Bird: Philippine Eagle

Currency: Philippine Peso (₱)

Official Languages: Filipino and English

Philippines Facts and Information | History

The name ‘Philippines’ was given by the Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos. He called this country ‘Las Islas Filipinas’ by honoring Philip of Austria who soon after became King Philip II of Spain.
The earliest evidence of humans on this island dates back to 67,000 years ago.
It is believed that Negritos are one of the first humans to settle in Philippines.
According to archaeologists, Austronesian-speaking peoples from Taiwan came here in about 4000 BC.

Philippines Geography Facts

It has 7,500 islands.
Geographically, Philippines is divided into three main regions i.e. Mindanao, Luzon and Visayas.
The seashore of Philippines has a length of about 22,549 miles. Thus, in terms of longest shoreline of countries, this island ranks at the 5^th position in the world.
With a height of 2,954 meters (9,692 feet), Mount Apo is the highest mountain of Philippines.
The Galathea Depth of the Philippine Trench is the deepest point of this country. The depth of this point is 10,540 metres (34,580 feet). This point ranks third among the deepest points in the world.

Fascinating Philippines Facts for Kids

In terms of population density, Manila is ranked top of the list of cities in the world.
It ranks second in the world among the countries having largest deposits of gold. South Africa has the world’s largest gold deposits.
As for production of geothermal energy, Philippines ranks second in the world after USA.
It ranks at the seventh position among the most populated countries of Asia.
It ranks at the twelfth position in the world in terms of population.
The economy of Philippines is ranked 39^th in the world.
About 12 million Filipinos live outside the Philippines which makes it the largest dispersed population of any country in the world.
Philippines is home to about 1,100 species of land vertebrates. Out of these, 100 species of mammals and 170 species of birds are not present anywhere else in the world.
During the last decade, 16 new species of mammals have been discovered.
The great Philippine eagle is the largest eagle in the world. It is one of the world’s most powerful birds. Its length is 2.82 to 3.35 feet and it is ranked as critically endangered bird.

5 Facts about Philippines

Philippine Airlines is the oldest airline in Asia.
Philippine is home to 182 different languages.
The longest river of Philippines is Cagayan River.
Every day 20 earthquakes occur in this country.
It has one of the world’s largest deposits of copper.