Elevation:

(Highest) Mount Apo on the island of Mindanao is 9,692 feet above sea level.
(Lowest) The Mindanao Deep (The Philippine Trench) is 34,400 feet below sea level, one of the deepest chasms in the ocean floor.

Area: 115,831 square miles (land area is the same as Arizona)

Greatest Distances:

668 miles (east to west)
1,100 miles (north to south)

Warning Signals:

A three stage warning system is used to announce the onset of typhoons. Signal No. 1means a possible threat of typhoon within 72 hours, No. 2 within 48 hours, and No. 3 within 36 hours. Schools, businesses, and government offices close when the Signal No. 3 is hoisted.

Mountains:

The larger islands are mountainous. Mountains or hilly terrain make up 65% of the total land area.

Islands:

7,107 (official count) are scattered over 500,000 square miles. Filipinos only occupy about 1,000 islands, and about 95% of the population live on just 11 islands.

Provinces: (72) Seventy-two

Chartered Cities: 66

Volcanoes:

The Philippines is part of the "Ring of Fire," a narrow band of intense volcanic and earthquake activity that circles the Pacific Ocean. There are 21active volcanoes, most of which are located on the eastern or Pacific Rim of the archipelago, and over 200 dormant volcanoes.

The Filipino People:

Filipinos are the friendliest people in Asia. Wherever you travel in the Philippines you will be sure to be greeted with smiles. They have welcomed so many foreigners to their shores that generosity has become a national trait. Mabuhay means "hello" and "welcome" in Filipino, and it is a phrase you'll see and hear often when you visit the Philippines.

Filipinos are one of the most unique people Asia due mainly to the fact of the very diverse and mixed culture. They are mainly of Malay origin with some Chinese, American, Spanish, and Arab ancestry. Characteristic Filipino traits are Bayanihan (the spirit of camaraderie), piety, and close family ties. Filipinos's flair for English and love of popular culture may derive from the influence of the United States. Filipinos are emotional and passionate about life.

This is a country marked by a real blend of cultures East truly meets West. Cave-dwelling mountain tribes and seminomadic hunter-gatherers are among the more than 40 ethnic groups that constitute the country's cultural minorities.

Perhaps the best-known of the groups are the Tasaday, discovered in 1971 after 50,000 years of cave-dwelling life in South Cotabato, Mindanao. Despite claims of a scientific hoax, their authenticity as a surviving Stone Age culture has since been confirmed.

Even more elusive to outsiders are the Badjao of the Sulu archipelago. These sea gypsies live on boats or in off-shore stilt houses and come ashore only to die. In the mountains of the Central Cordillera dwell 200,000 mountain people, all different in their lifestyles and origins. They include the Apayao, Bontoc, Benguet, Ifugao, and Kalinga. Readily distinguished from other Filipinos are the Negrito people of the Luzon area. They are nomads, living in twig-and-branch huts, hunting with bows and poison-tipped arrows.

There are several still lesser-known groups, and it's advisable to inquire about local sensibilities before poking your nose or camera into their territory. Filipinos are generally happy to share information, provided that you are willing to chat freely about yourself. Wherever you go in the Philippines, it's a good idea to have plenty of photos, inexpensive gifts, and conversational props on hand. A song, no matter how badly sung, is sure to bring out the welcome mat.