The Philippines is made up of over 7,107 tropical islands in the western pacific bordering countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and the Republic of China, although it is the only Southeast Asian country to share no land borders with its neighbors. The Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country with a population approaching 92 million people. Its national economy is the 47th largest in the world with a 2006 gross domestic product of over US$117.562 billion. There are more than 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, the largest Diasporas networks in the world, about 11% of the total population of the Philippines.

Its diverse ecosystems along with its even more diverse cultural history make it one of the most fascinating destinations in the world. As home to lively festivals, friendly people, cities and Provinces, beautiful beaches, tropical rainforests, volcanoes, waterfalls, and coral reefs teeming with life, the Philippines is truly a unique jewel in the Southeast Asian countries.

The Philippines has developed a mixed culture from the blending of foreign influences with native elements. Today some of the isolated tribes are the only people whose culture remains unadulterated by earlier Muslim and later Spanish and American influences.
The geography and history of the Philippines have conspired to produce a multiplicity of languages, some 80 dialects in total. The concept of a national language developed after the Spanish-American War in 1898 and Tagalog was declared the national language in 1936. There were several other contenders for this role, including Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Ilocano. A compromise reached in 1973 confirmed Filipino as the national language. This is based on Tagalog, but has linguistic elements of other Philippine languages. Despite this, English remains the language of commerce and politics in the Philippines.