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elections: Senate - last held on 14 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2010); House of Representatives - elections last held on 14 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2010)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Lakas-Kampi 4, LP 4, NPC 3, Nacionalista 2, independents 4, others 6; note - there are 23 rather than 24 sitting senators because one senator was elected mayor of Manila; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Lakas 86, Kampi 46, NPC 29, LP 21, Party-list 21, others 36

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (15 justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and serve until 70 years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan (special court for hearing corruption cases of government officials)

Political parties and leaders:

Genuine Opposition or GO (coalition of oppositon parties formed to contest the 2007 elections); Kabalikat Ng Malayang Pilipino or Kampi [Ronaldo PUNO]; Laban Ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) or LDP [Edgardo ANGARA]; Lakas Ng Edsa (National Union of Christian Democrats) or Lakas [Jose DE VENECIA]; Liberal Party or LP [Manuel ROXAS]; Nacionalista [Manuel VILLAR]; National People's Coalition or NPC [Frisco SAN JUAN]; PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL]; People's Reform Party [Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO]; PROMDI [Emilio OSMENA]; Pwersa Ng Masang Pilipino (Party of the Philippine Masses) or PMP [Joseph ESTRADA]; Reporma [Renato DE VILLA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

AKBAYAN [Etta ROSALES, Mario AGUJA, and Risa HONTIVEROS-BARAQUIEL]; ALAGAD [Rodante MARROLITA]; ALIF [Acmad TOMAWIS]; An Waray [Horencio NOEL]; Anak Mindanao [Mujiv HATAMIN]; ANAKPAWIS [Crispin BELTRAN and Rafael MARIANO]; Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) [Sunny Rose MADAMBA, Ernesto PABLO, and Edgar VALDEZ]; AVE [Eulogio MAGSAYSAY]; Bayan Muna [Satur OCAMPO, Joel VIRADOR, and Teodoro CASINO, Jr.]; BUHAY [Rene VELARDE and Hans Christian SENERES]; BUTIL [Benjamin CRUZ]; CIBAC [Emmanuel Joel VILLANUEVA]; COOP-NATCO [Guillermo CUA]; GABRIELA [Liza MAZA]; Partido Ng Manggagawa [Renato MAGTUBO]; Veterans Federation of the Philippines [Ernesto GIDAYA]

International organization participation:

ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Willy C. GAA

chancery: 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] (202) 467-9300

FAX: [1] (202) 467-9417

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), Tamuning (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Kristie A. KENNEY

embassy: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita 1000, Manila

mailing address: PSC 500, FPO AP 96515-1000

telephone: [63] (2) 301-2000

FAX: [63] (2) 522-4361

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of blue (top; representing peace and justice) and red (representing courage); a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side represents equality; the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays, each representing one of the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain; each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star representing the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao; the design of the flag dates to 1897; in wartime the flag is flown upside down with the red band at the top

Economy Philippines

Economy - overview:

The Philippine economy grew at its fastest pace in three decades with real GDP growth exceeding 7% in 2007. Higher government spending contributed to the growth, but a resilient service sector and large remittances from the millions of Filipinos who work abroad have played an increasingly important role. Economic growth has averaged 5% since President MACAPAGAL-ARROYO took office in 2001. Nevertheless, the Philippines will need still higher, sustained growth to make progress in alleviating poverty, given its high population growth and unequal distribution of income. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO averted a fiscal crisis by pushing for new revenue measures and, until recently, tightening expenditures. Declining fiscal deficits, tapering debt and debt service ratios, as well as recent efforts to increase spending on infrastructure and social services have heightened optimism over Philippine economic prospects. Although the general macroeconomic outlook has improved significantly, the Philippines continues to face important challenges and must maintain the reform momentum in order to catch up with regional competitors, improve employment opportunities, and alleviate poverty. Longer-term fiscal stability will require more sustainable revenue sources, rather than non-recurring revenues from privatization.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$299.6 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$144.1 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$3,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 13.7%

industry: 31.4%

services: 54.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

36.22 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 35%

industry: 15%

services: 50% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.3% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

30% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.4%

highest 10%: 31.2% (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

45.8 (2006)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

14.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $24.63 billion

expenditures: $24.9 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt:

55.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:

sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassavas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish

Industries:

electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:

6.6% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

53.67 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 55.6%

hydro: 17.5%

nuclear: 0%

other: 26.9% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

46.86 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

24,310 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

340,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

34,900 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

353,700 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

152 million bbl (31 December 2006)

Natural gas - production:

2.781 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

2.781 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

107.5 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$6.351 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$49.32 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, fruits

Exports - partners:

US 18.3%, Japan 16.5%, Netherlands 10.1%, China 9.8%, Hong Kong 7.8%, Singapore 7.3%, Malaysia 5.6%, Taiwan 4.3% (2006)

Imports:

$57.56 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

electronic products, mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, iron and steel, textile fabrics, grains, chemicals, plastic

Imports - partners:

US 16.3%, Japan 13.6%, Singapore 8.5%, Taiwan 8%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.2%, Saudi Arabia 5.8%, Malaysia 4.1%, Thailand 4.1%, Hong Kong 4% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

ODA, $451.4 million in commitments (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$33.71 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$61.83 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$18.4 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$5.28 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$103.4 billion (2007)

Currency (code):

Philippine peso (PHP)

Currency code:

PHP

Exchange rates:

Philippine pesos per US dollar - 46.148 (2007), 51.246 (2006), 55.086 (2005), 56.04 (2004), 54.203 (2003)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Philippines

Telephones - main lines in use:

3.633 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

42.869 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: good international radiotelephone and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate

domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations; cellular communications now dominate the industry; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density exceeds 50 telephones per 100 persons with more than 10 mobile cellular subscribers for every fixed-line subscriber

international: country code - 63; a series of submarine cables together provide connectivity to Asia, US, the Middle East, and Europe; multiple international gateways (2006)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 381, FM 628, shortwave 4 (each shortwave station operates on multiple frequencies in the language of the target audience) (2007)

Radios:

11.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

250 (plus 1,501 CATV networks) (2007)

Televisions:

3.7 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.ph

Internet hosts:

271,609 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

33 (2000)

Internet users:

4.615 million (2005)

Transportation Philippines

Airports:

255 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 84

over 3,047 m: 4

2,438 to 3,047 m: 8

1,524 to 2,437 m: 26

914 to 1,523 m: 36

under 914 m: 10 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 171

1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

914 to 1,523 m: 68

under 914 m: 99 (2007)

Heliports:

2 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 565 km; oil 135 km; refined products 105 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 897 km

narrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (492 km are in operation) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 200,037 km

paved: 19,804 km

unpaved: 180,233 km (2003)

Waterways:

3,219 km (limited to vessels with draft less than 1.5 m) (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 383 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,542,681 GRT/6,164,312 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 75, cargo 120, chemical tanker 16, container 5, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 16, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 66, petroleum tanker 34, refrigerated cargo 14, roll on/roll off 13, vehicle carrier 12

foreign-owned: 135 (Bermuda 31, China 2, Greece 3, Hong Kong 2, Japan 69, Malaysia 2, Netherlands 22, Norway 2, Singapore 1, UAE 1)

registered in other countries: 34 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Belize 1, Comoros 1, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 1, Panama 12, Singapore 4, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Liman, Manila, Nasipit Harbor

Military Philippines

Military branches:

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-25 years of age (officers 21-29) for compulsory and voluntary military service; applicants must be single male or female Philippine citizens (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 23,547,252

females age 16-49: 23,177,487 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 18,232,050

females age 16-49: 19,827,538 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 1,003,836

females age 16-49: 968,845 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

0.9% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Philippines

Disputes - international:

Philippines claims sovereignty over certain of the Spratly Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalf; maritime delimitation negotiations continue with Palau

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: 300,000 (fighting between government troops and MILF and Abu Sayyaf groups) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing problem in recent years despite government crackdowns; major consumer of amphetamines; longstanding marijuana producer mainly in rural areas where Manila's control is limited

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Pitcairn Islands

Introduction Pitcairn Islands

Background:

Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in 1838) and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to less than 50 today.

Geography Pitcairn Islands

Location:

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:

25 04 S, 130 06 W

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total: 47 sq km

land: 47 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

51 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm