> What's the capital of the Philippines?And the answer is: Manila. Photo Courtesy: Compare RemitSituated on Manila Bay at the mouth of the PasigRiver, Manila got its name from a type of flowering shrub that used to growalong the river. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Manilahas been the principal city of the Philippines for at least four centuries.The Philippines is a tropical archipelago of about 7,000 islands, of whicharound 2,000 are inhabited. In fact, it is the largest island nation without anyland borders or shared island territory with another nation. The island nationis generally broken up into three primary groups: Luzon, in the north, is hometo Manila and over half of the population; Visayas in the middle; and Mindano inthe south. Surrounding Manila are 16 towns and cities that are considered"Manila Metro," or the National Capital Region. Together, these regions act as asingle unit. The entire area encompassing the Philippines is disputed, and complex. China,Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei each have overlapping claims on theislands, creating occasional internal dispute among the citizens of the SpratlyIslands. The Philippines lies on the Ring of Fire, a line along which many fault linesand much volcanic activity exists. As such, there are many active volcanoes(about 53!) and frequent earthquakes. In fact, one Filipino island calledCamigun has more volcanoes than towns on it (7 volcanoes to 5 towns).Due to its tropic positioning, the Philippines specializes in various forms ofagriculture (though their economy has begun to transition to service andmanufacturing). Thanks to several integral rivers, the Cagayan valley producesnearly all of the rice in the Philippines. Meanwhile, other regions growsugarcane and coconut and other fruits. Another pro of the tropics is thenation's biodiversity. The Philippines are home to the largest level of marinebiodiversity and the highest rate of animal discovery in the world. Learn more about the history of the Philippines below. And, for more on the rich food culture of the Philippines, check out the videobelow.