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The Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to gain independence after World War II, in 1945.

 

The Philippines has the highest rate of discovery of new animal species with 16 new species of mammals discovered just in the last 10 years.

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The world’s biggest pair of shoes was made in Marikina City, Philippines, in 2002. The wingtips measured about 17.4 feet (5.3 m) in length, 7.9 feet (2.4 m) in width, and almost 6.6 feet (2 m) in height. Their cost was 2 million Philippine pesos.

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The Philippines are named after King Philip II of Spain

 

The Philippines are named after King Philip II of Spain. Explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the Eastern Visayas Felipenas first, and the name was later applied to the entire archipelago. The country’s official name is the Republic of the Philippines.

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Of the top 10 largest shopping malls in the world, two are found in the Philippines: SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia.

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The world’s largest pearl was discovered by a Filipino diver in the Palawan Sea in 1934. Known as the “Pearl of Lao Tzu,” or “Pearl of Allah,” the gem weighs 14 pounds (6.35 kg) and measures 9.5 inches (24 cm) long and 5.5 inches (.4 cm) in diameter. It has a value of over US$40 million. It is believed to be 600 years old.

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