Capital of: The Philippines
Location: On the shores of Manila bay,
on the West side of the island of Luzon.
Population:
If you include the whole metropolitan area it stands at about 11
million, just Manila proper is about1.7 million
Mayor:
Joseph
Marcelo Ejercito Estrada
Possible
English meanings: “There is” the “Nilad plant” (since many
such plants grew in the area) or the strong fibre of a the plant,
used for rope.
Significant
sights, or sites: City Hall, Quiapo and San Augustin Churches, Fort
Santiago, Malacañang
Palace, Rizal Shrine, Plaza San Luis, Mabini Shrine, Bonifacio
Shrine, Manila Zoological and Botanical garden, and the sight of
Manila bay from a high place and the Manila skyline from the bay.
Demographics
of the Philipines: Tagalog,
28.1%, Cebuano, 13.1%, Ilocano, 9%, Bisaya 7.6%,
Hiligaynon 7.5%, Bikol, 6%, Waray 3.4%, Other, 25.3%
Public
Transportation: LRT, MRT, Commuter rail (to outer parts of the Metro
area and beyond), buses, taxis and Jeepneys (a shared taxi
distinctive to Manila).
Airports:
Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and Clark International
Airport (this is the one me and Nancy had a 6 hour stop over in, I
believe).
Canadian
Sister city: Winnipeg
Founding
and brief history: There is evidence of habitation around the Manila
area as far back as 3000BC and there are records of the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) trading with the kingdom of Maynila. Brunei briefly
invaded the area, wanting in on the trade with China, but the arrival
of the Spanish changed things in the region. Manila the city was
officially founded in 1571 by the Spanish to be its seat of
government in the area. The Philippines remained in Spanish hands
until 1898, when it was handed over to the US after the Spanish
American war. American administration lasted until 1946, when the
Philippines became independent. Manila was one of the most
devastated cities during the second world war and several bloody
battles were fought over the city between US and Filipino force and
Japanese forces. Quezon city became the capital of the Philippines
from 1948 to 1976, when Manila was once again named capital. This
was helped along by the fact that Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator of
the time, had just made created the metropolitan area of Manila,
which included Quezon city.
When
I first realized Manila existed: Sometime around the time I started
working at McDonalds, and talking with the Filipino people working
there (about 15 years ago).
Interesting
demographic facts about Manila: Manila is the them most densely
populated city in the world and Manila and the area surrounding it (the
greater metropolitan area of Manila and a bit beyond) is estimated to contain a
quarter of the entire population of the country (that's about 25
million people).
References:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2014/03/15/conversation-with-asian-pope-francis/tYuecMO8hOG2gW8mZE5r0O/story.htmlhttp://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/the-philippines-population/
Countdown
(2013), By Alan Weisman (Published by: Little, Brown and Company)
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