The Philippines, an archipelago, made up of 7,107 islands,
between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of
Vietnam occupies an area slightly larger than the U.S. state of
Arizona. The mostly mountainous, tropical island country holds
natural resources of timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver,
gold, salt, and copper and has an estimated population of more
than 89,000,000 (July 2006). Natural hazards are uncontrolled
deforestation in watershed areas, soil erosion, air and water
pollution in major urban centers, coral reef degradation, and
increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are
important fish breeding grounds. The Philippine Islands became a
Spanish colony during the 16th century, ceded to the U.S.
following the Spanish-American War in 1898, and became a self-
governing commonwealth in 1935, in preparation for independence.
During World War II, the islands fell under Japanese occupation
(1942-45); on July 4, 1946, the Philippines attained
independence. The Philippine government i