Location: Southeastern Asia, between Indonesia and China

Map references: Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

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: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; air pollution in Manila
natural hazards: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; subject to landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunamis
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Tropical Timber

NOTE: The information regarding Philippines on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Philippines Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Philippines Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.