Southeast Asian archipelago nation known as the Philippines—officially the Republic of the Philippines—was formed. With a combined area of 300,000 square kilometers, the 7,641 islands that make up the western Pacific Ocean can be roughly divided into three primary geographical regions, running north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Celebes Sea borders the Philippines from the south, the Philippine Sea from the east, and the South China Sea from the west. China borders it northwest, Vietnam borders it west, Indonesia borders it south, Malaysia borders it southwest, Taiwan borders it north, Japan borders it northeast, Palau borders it east and southeast, and Indonesia borders it west. With a diverse population of nationalities and cultures, it is the twelfth most populous country in the world. Manila is the country’s capital