GK
Shikhi

Lesson 3/44 min

The Philippines and Brunei

The Philippines

  • An island nation in the Pacific; three main island groups: Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. The largest island is Luzon, where the capital Manila lies.
  • Named after King Philip II of Spain. It has 7,641 islands (official survey); the older figure was 7,107.
  • Independent in 1946, from the United States (earlier a Spanish colony). Currency: peso.
  • Asia's two Christian-majority countries are the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
  • The Magsaysay Award, called Asia's Nobel, is given from the Philippines.
  • The United States left its Subic Bay naval base in 1992.
  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is in Metro Manila; the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is in the Philippines.

Mindanao and politics

  • Mindanao is an island with Muslim-majority areas; the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fought for its independence.
  • In 1996 the MNLF signed a peace deal, dropped its independence claim and became a political party.
  • Abu Sayyaf is an armed group in the Mindanao region.
  • Corazon Aquino: the Philippines' first woman president (1986–1992).
  • The present president is Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (since 2022).

Watch out: Khandokar calls Corazon Aquino “the first woman head of state of Asia”. The safe wording is the Philippines' first woman president. In the rice-institute question (45th BCS) the key says Manila; the institute is actually headquartered at Los Baños near Manila, in the Philippines.

Brunei

  • A sultanate and Islamic state; the Sultan is head of state and government; Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has ruled since 1967.
  • On the north coast of Borneo; the South China Sea lies to the north and Malaysia's Sarawak on the other sides.
  • Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan; currency: Brunei dollar.
  • Independence from Britain on 1 January 1984.
  • Citizens pay no personal income tax.

Watch out: Khandokar writes “Indonesia” on Brunei's other three sides, which is wrong; it is surrounded by Malaysia's Sarawak. The book calls Brunei “tax-free”; the accurate statement is that citizens pay no personal income tax.

Check yourself

After whom is the Philippines named?

At a glance

  1. 1

    The capital of the Philippines is Manila (on Luzon); it is named after King Philip II of Spain.

  2. 2

    The Philippines became independent from the United States in 1946; it has 7,641 islands.

  3. 3

    The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is in the Philippines; the ADB is in Manila.

  4. 4

    The MNLF signed a peace deal in 1996; Corazon Aquino was the first woman president.

  5. 5

    Brunei's Sultan is Hassanal Bolkiah; independence on 1 January 1984; capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

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