1. the Philippines By: Jo Marie S. Labial

2. Themes & Regions Information about natural landscapes, the climate, tropical animals and tropical fruit & vegetables in the Philippines. Special attention for the volcanoes the Pinatubo and Mount Mayon, the danger of the typhoons and the advantages of Geo-energy. The housing, means of transportation and economic activities on markets and other places, will show you the way of living in this beautiful tropical country.

3. In the coral waters around the island The Philippines is situated in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific. The Western Pacific is known for having some of the warmest waters on the planet. In the warm, shallow waters around the islands, we find the corals and the coral reefs. Corals are micro organisms, so, they are the smallest animals you can imagine. These 'microscopic small' organisms produce (secrete) lime which form miniscule small holes (cavities). These miniscule small holes serve as their living room. The corals use their tentacles to trap passing plankton. Plankton is the food for corals. As generations of corals die, the lime skeletons of the dead micro organisms will build-up the coral reefs. It takes a coral reef 5 years to grow one inch. The forms of the reefs we can see today, are the result of a natural process of millions of years. These limestone forms are the environment (the habitat) for the many different en colored tropical fish.

4. Tropical rainforest Forests in the tropics have a rich biodiversity. More than half of all the plants and animals in the world are to be found in the rainforests. More than 3500 species of plants and animals! The constantly high temperatures and the continuously high humidity in the tropics make this biodiversity possible. The temperature is in most tropical rainforests between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius.

5. Typical fruit in the Philippines Sun, sea, beach and....fresh tropical fruit! Sun, sea, beach and fresh fruit. These are the ingredients of a relaxing stay in a tropical country like the Philippines. For the utmost feeling, it's a must to learn to know the typical tropical fruit. Though nowadays you can buy most of this fruit in the USA and in European countries, the taste is at the best in the tropical country itself. So, if you be there, go to the market, buy the fruit and explore the taste of the tropical fruits!

6. Vegetables in a tropical country There are a lot of typical 'tropical vegetables'. Many of these vegetables can be seen more and more on markets in Europe, Australia or North-America. Especially the last ten years. One of the main reasons for the increasing interest for tropical vegetables in Western Europe, is the presence of the multicultural societies in these countries. Still, there are some vegetables which are still specific for the local markets in tropical countries like the Philippines.

7. Active volcanoes The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7100 islands. Most of these islands are of volcanic origin. There are 37 volcanoes in the Philippines, of which 18 are still active volcanoes. It means that an eruption occurred in the last decennia and that a new eruption can be expected in the future. All the other volcanoes are 'sleeping' or 'dead' volcanoes. Scientists think that an eruption of these volcanoes is unlikely. The most known volcanoes in the Philippines are Mount Pinatubo, Mount Mayon and the Taal volcano. They are all located on the Northern island Luzon.

8. The Tropical Climate The Tropical Rainforest Climate Because of the geographical location on the planet, the Philippines has a "Tropical Rainforest Climate" all over the country. Rainy season and monsoon Though some rainfall can be expected in every month, the rainfall differs greatly through the year. In the period June - October it's raining cats and dogs! The influence of the southwest monsoon is very clear. In the period December - May there is no monsoon anymore. The wind, the "trade wind", is coming from the northeast and brings hardly rainfall. The two main characteristics of this climate are: high temperatures high atmospheric humidity Both the high temperatures and the humidity are the whole year through. In theory rainfall can be expected in every month of the year. Typhoons A third characteristic feature of the climate of the Philippines is the presence of strong typhoons. The Philippines is tortured by typhoons every year. In the whole Western Pacific typhoons occur in the period June - November. Monsoons and "trade winds“ The monsoon is a very rainy wind coming from the southwest. The "trade wind", coming from the northeast, is dominating in the period December -May. It's a rather 'dry' wind and brings hardly any rainfall.

9. Geothermal energy on Leyte The Philippines has several possibilities to get clean and cheap energy. The tropical climate and the geological circumstances are responsible for three different energy resources: solar energy, cheap and inexhaustible natural gas (enormous mass found on Palawan) relative cheap "geothermal" energy Leyte is one of the Philippine islands where geothermal energy is produced.

10. Colorful festivals and processions Influence of the Catholic religion Typical for the Philippines are the many festivals and processions. The explanation for the most of all these fiestas has to be found in the domination of one specific religion in the Philippines. The majority of the cultural celebrations is closely related to the Catholic religion. Nearly 90% of the Filipinos are Roman Catholic. If you like fiestas, it is really worth to visit the Philippines, especially in January, April, May and June. The most known and biggest fiestas take place in these months. The most known fiestas For the Filipinos themselves, every year the festivals and processions are days of great joy and happiness. Fiestas or any community celebration usually feature music, dancing, and food feasts. The most known are the procession of the Black Nazarene, the Ati-Atihan, the Sinulog, the Flores de Mayo and the Santa Cruzan. The colorful dress is most of the time not traditional. To see really traditional clothes, you have to visit the remote areas on Luzon and Mindanao for example.