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Philippines consists of 7107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, only
2000 of which are inhabited. Luzon and Mindanao are by far the largest,
and comprise roughly 66 per cent of the country's area. Only about 1000
islands are larger than one sq km (0.4 sq mi) and 2500 aren't even named.
The Philippines' nearest neighbours are Taiwan (north), Eastern Malaysia
and Brunei (south-west), and Indonesia (south).
The archipelago has a volcanic topography and
experiences frequent seismic activity. There are 37 volcanoes in the
archipelago and the highest peak is Mt Apo (2954m/9689ft) in Mindanao.
About half the country is under cultivation and about a third remains
forested, despite tree-felling and slash-and-burn agriculture. There are
more than a 1000 species of birds and animals, notably wild dwarf buffalo,
mouse deer, crocodiles and pythons. There are over 10,000 species of tree,
shrub and fern, the most common of which are palms and bamboos. |
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