South-eastern Asia · PHL
Philippines
The story · 10 chapters
How it was drawn
Islands with no single state before Spain, made one colony over three centuries of conquest and Moro wars, taken by the United States in 1898, and independent since 1946.
Play the story Take the first lessonThrough the ages
Rivals in history
The kingdoms, empires and states Philippines fought or stood against, from the first to today.
- Spanish Empire1521 to 1898
Lapulapu's warriors kill Magellan at Mactan in 1521. Spain conquers most of the islands from 1565 and rules for three centuries, facing many revolts, until the revolution of 1896 to 1898.
- Sultanate of Brunei1571 to 1578
Manila's rulers, linked to Brunei, resist the Spanish and are defeated at Bangkusay in 1571. In 1578 Spain attacks Brunei itself in the Castilian War, but cannot hold it.
- Dutch Republic1600 to 1648
During the Eighty Years' War, Dutch fleets attack Spanish Manila again and again, from 1600 to the naval battles of La Naval de Manila in 1646. Peace between Spain and the Dutch ends the fighting in 1648.
- Great Britain1762 to 1764
During the Seven Years' War a British force from India storms Manila in October 1762. Simón de Anda organises resistance from the provinces, and the British leave in 1764 under the peace treaty.
- United States1899 to 1946
The Philippine American War begins in February 1899; Emilio Aguinaldo is captured in 1901, and the war is declared over in 1902, though fighting in the Muslim south lasts years longer. American rule ends with independence in 1946.
- Empire of Japan1941 to 1945
Japan invades in December 1941 and rules through a puppet republic from 1943. Guerrillas resist throughout, and the American and Filipino reconquest from October 1944 ends with Manila destroyed.
The Philippines claims Sabah as successor to the Sultanate of Sulu and has never withdrawn the claim. Relations sour again in 2013, when armed followers of a Sulu claimant land in Sabah and are defeated.
- New People's ArmySince 1969Still open
The armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines has waged a rural guerrilla war since 1969, one of the longest running communist insurgencies in the world, though it is much weakened today.
- Moro liberation fronts1972 to 2019
The Moro National Liberation Front rises in 1972 for a Muslim homeland in Mindanao and signs peace in 1996. The breakaway Moro Islamic Liberation Front signs a deal in 2014 that leads to the Bangsamoro autonomous region in 2019.
China occupies Mischief Reef in 1995 and takes control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012. A tribunal rules against China's claims in 2016, but Chinese coast guard ships keep confronting Philippine boats around Second Thomas Shoal.
Today
Philippines now
The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. Led by Emilio AGUINALDO, the Filipinos conducted an insurgency against US rule from 1899-1902, although some fighting continued in outlying islands as late as 1913. In 1935, the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition.
- Capital
- Manila
- Government
- presidential republic
- Head of government
- Bongbong Marcos
- Languages
- Taglish, Filipino, English
- Area
- 300,000 km²
Through time
Then and now
- Population115 million2023 · 18.8 million in 1950
- Life expectancy69.8 years2023 · 53.6 years in 1950
- GDP per person$8,3702022 · $1,706 in 1950
- Living in cities56%2025 · 25% in 1950
- Literacy99%2020 · 63% in 1950
- Political regimeElectoral autocracy2025 · Electoral autocracy in 1950
- Military alliancesNone of these2024 · None of these in 1950
- Military spending1.3% of GDP2025
- War deaths0.1 per 100,0002025
Population: HYDE 3.3, Gapminder and UN WPP. GDP per capita: Maddison Project Database 2023. Urban share: UN WPP. Life expectancy: Riley, HMD, UN WPP. Literacy: OWID historical estimates, World Bank, UNESCO. Military spending: SIPRI. War deaths: UCDP. Political regime: V-Dem, Regimes of the World. All via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0). Alliances and organization memberships: compiled by Atlas. Satellites in orbit: CelesTrak SATCAT. Modern borders, backcast.
Relations
Close partners and tensions
Close partners
- United States
- Japan
Summarised from World Bank and Wikipedia data, updated 24 October 2026.