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Flag of the Republic of the Philippines

Flag Colors and Description

The flag of the Philippines consists of two equal horizontal bands of blue (top), representing peace and justice, and red, representing courage. A white equilateral triangle representing equality is based on the hoist side. Centered on the triangle is 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. In wartime, the flag is flown upside down with the red band at the top. The design of the flag dates to 1897.

People

Population: 89,468,677 (July 2006 estimate)

Population Growth Rate: 1.8% (2006 estimate)

Spoken Languages: two official languages - Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English; eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

Government

Government Type: republic

Capital: Manila

Economics

GDP (Gross Domestic Product): $443.1 billion (2006 estimate)

GDP per capita: $5,000 (2006 estimate)