The History of Philippines is very rich and features different cultural traditions. The country is an archipelago of thousand of islands. It is located in the western Pacific Ocean in the south east of Asia. The country features exotic tourist destinations and gorgeous natural beauty. While taking the Philippines Tours you will learn about the various turning points of the History of Philippines.
The History of Philippines goes back to over 30,000 years when the Negritos, an Australo-Melanesian people arrived in the country. About 2500 B.C. the Malayo-Polynesian-speaking people settled in the country. Philippines had trade relations with India, China and Japan before Spanish colonization in 1521. The country also had trade relations with Muslim merchants in the 9th century.
Another turning point in the History of Philippines is the Spanish colonial rule. While at the service of Spain, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed on the Marianas Islands on March 16, 1521. The island was named by him as Island of Sails. He arrived in Cebu on April 7, 1521 and was accompanied by Rajah Kulambu. But Magellan was killed by tribal warriors who were led by Lapu-Lapu in the Battle of Mactan. Later, the Spanish king Philip II ordered many expeditions to the country. Another important milestone in Philippines History is the establishment of the Spanish settlement. The first settlement was formed in Cebu by Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565.
The city of Manila was established as the capital of the new Spanish colony in 1571. The Spanish introduced the calendar, code of law, printing and Christianity. From 1565 to 1821, the Philippines was ruled as a territory of New Spain before being directly administered from Madrid. The Spanish decree of 1863 introduced free public schools in Spanish. Another Historical Fact of Philippines is that the Spanish squadron was defeated in Manila Bay by the Americans in the Spanish-American War. The independence of Philippines was declared on June 12, 1898 by Emilio Aguinaldo and ended 350 years of Spanish rule.
The History of Philippines again had a dramatic change when the United States of America took over the country in 1898 and dissolved this first republic. Philippines became the only and first colony of America. The country fought for America in the World War II against the Japanese. The country regained full independence from the United States on July 4, 1946. You can learn about all these while traveling to Philippines.
Online information on History of Philippines is provided by travel.mapsofworld
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