A democratic republic located in the Western Pacific Ocean, the Republic of the Philippines is made up of the Philippine Islands and is the island group at the northernmost part of the Malay Archipelago.

The Philippines is situated about 1,210 km (about 750 mi) east of the coast of Vietnam and is separated in the north from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel. Bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea (and Pacific Ocean), on the south by the Celebes Sea, and on the west by the South China Sea, the archipelagic state comprises about 7,100 islands. Resulting from this situation are great variations in climate, geography and vegetation.

The total area of the Philippines has a total area of about 300,000 sq km (about 115, 830 sq mi). About 298,170 of the total area is land area with the remaining 1,830 being the total water area. The capital and largest city of the Philippines is Manila.

Extending 1,850 km (1,150 mi) from north to south and almost 1,127 km (700 mi) east to west, the Philippine Island group is of volcanic origin and generally mountainous. Running parallel to the coasts, as well as bordering them in many places, the mountain ranges extend north to south. There are about 20 active volcanoes on the islands, and earthquakes are fairly common.

The larger islands, Luzon and Mindanao, are characterized by high mountains with alluvial plains and narrow fertile valleys. Unlike the larger islands with their relatively diverse topography, the smaller islands are mountainous with surrounding flat lowlands.

Mount Apo, the Philippines' highest point, reaches 9692 ft (2954 m) and is found in the southernmost ranges on Mindanao, the second largest Philippine island.

Considered to be part of the Tropics, the Philippines' mean annual temperature is about 80?F (27?C) with the interior valleys tending to be a little warmer and the mountain peaks a little cooler than the mean. The relative humidity averages about 77%.

The rainy season is from May to November, which is the summer monsoon, while the dry season occurs during the winter monsoon from December to April. Typically, the weather is cool from November to February, while it's very hot and dry from March to May. The rainiest times are from June to October, with typhoons not uncommon during this time. The average rainfall in the lowlands is about 80 inches a year (2030 mm).