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Situated on the crossroads
of Asia, on the eastern rim of the China Sea, the Philippines has
hosted voyagers, migrants and traders since the dawn of history. Early
trade with China and Japan can be traced on the archaeological relics
left behind by traders in the banks of major hubs of the country.
The West discovery of the Philippines in 1521 facilitated the growth
of Christianity and emergence of new culture. However, Spanish
colonization did not actually began until 1565 when voyager Miguel
Lopez de Legaspi established a Spanish base in the town of Manila, the
Philippines' Capital.
In 1898, the Philippines won independence after 327 years under
Spanish rule, but found themselves controlled by the Americans from
1900-1942 and the Japanese from 1942-1945. The Americans brought over
their educational and legal systems and introduced their style of
government. With the end of the Japanese occupation in 1946, the
Philippines regained democracy as a Republic. True democracy was fully
achieved by the Filipinos after the "People Power Revolution" in 1986
which led to the downfall of the reigning dictatorship. Still one of
the strongest democracies in Asia, the current president is Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo. |
History
Information
provided by
Department of Tourism. Government of Philippines.
