James Baquet It’s hard to be objective about a place dear to one’s heart! My wife is from the Philippines, and I have traveled extensively through the islands. The Republic of the Philippines was “discovered” by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 — though Magellan did not survive the encounter, having been killed in an intertribal skirmish after claiming the islands for Spain. (Magellan’s expedition went on without him, to complete the first known circumnavigation of the globe.) Despite the “discovery” claimed by the Europeans, the islands (not-yet named for King Philip II of Spain) had been trading with the Chinese since the Tang and Song dynasties, and traditionally are said to have had interchange with the Majapahit Empire (centered on what is now Java) and Srivijaya, based on Sumatra (both in modern day Indonesia). Via these latter two, the islands’ cultures were influenced by Indian as well as Chinese culture. Muslim culture has long been influential in the south. The Philippines is made up of well over 7,000 islands, divided into three broad groups: Mindanao in the south, the Visayas farther north, and Luzon and its associated islands in the high north. The capital, Manila, is located on Luzon. The archipelago is located in the western Pacific Ocean, with the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea on the eastern side, and the Celebes Sea to the southwest. Across the waves are the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Palau, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. Due to its location on the Ring of Fire, the Philippines is subject to volcanic eruption and earthquake, in addition to typhoons. Though it ranks 63rd in world for area, it is 12th in population. Filipino (a form of Tagalog) has been declared the national language, but there are some 182 local languages, 19 of which have been declared as regionally important. English is the medium of instruction for most school subjects (aside from Filipino language and culture). Around 80 to 90 percent of the people are Roman Catholics. Vocabulary: Which words above means: 1. sailing around (the world) 2. meeting; coming across 3. journey or voyage made for some purpose 4. explosion of a lava-producing mountain 5. between local groups of people 6. not influenced by personal feelings 7. small battle 8. edges of the Pacific subject to heavy volcanic activity 9. having an effect 10. asserting ownership | 