The history of very few Asian countries has been as influenced by the West as that of the Philippines - a fact clearly indicated by their name, given in honor of the Spanish King Philip II.

It is likely that he islands were populated in pre-historic times, when they were still linked to the Asian continent. Centuries before the Europeans arrived, contact had been made with China. Islam arrived in the country via the trade routes. The island of Mindanao was a Muslim state as early as 1475. It was the south that resisted the Spanish conquerors when they, after Magellan's "discovery", tried to gain power.

The seized islands were put under the administration of the Spanish Viceroy in Mexico and the majority of the Filipinos accepted the Roman Catholic faith. At the end of the 19th century, resistance towards the colonial masters increased, and, in 1898, the first Republic of the Philippines was proclaimed. But it was a striving world power - the USA- who attempted to gain supremacy. The Philippines were occupied and did not receive even partial autonomy until 1935. During the Second World War, Japan occupied the islands but these were regained by the USA before the war was over. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines finally gained independence but still maintained close links with the USA.

Only a fifth of the more than 7,000 Filipino islands are populated. The largest and most important are Luzon and Mindanao. The capital Manila pulls people in like a magnet - eight million live in greater Manila. Tagalog is the most widely spoken of approximately 90 regional languages. Its standardized version, also known as Filipino, is the official language.

The Tagalog welcome "Mabuhay!" soon becomes a familiar sound to visitors - the Filipinos are famous for their friendliness. "Where Asia smiles", is how the island state advertises its most important asset - its people.