Eastern Visayas (Region VIII), Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago of approximately 7,641 islands, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire in Southeast Asia. The area of the Philippines is prone to natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons. Many different ethnicities and cultures are found living in the Philippines Islands. Some of the earliest inhabitants were Negritos, and Austroesian peoples. Later, Malaysians, Indians, Arabs, and Chinese all emigrated to the islands. In 1521 Ferdinand Magellan discovered the islands and the Spanish soon began to colonize. In 1543 the islands got their name in honor of King Philip II of Spain. For the next 300+ years, the Philippines were a part of the Spanish Empire. On July 4, 1946 the Philippines officially became the Republic of the Philippines.