25 interesting things you may not know about the Philippines

With the diversity of culture, charming scenery, hospitable people and bustling cities, the Philippines has become the most attractive tourist destination in Southeast Asia.

Let us discover 25 interesting things you may not have heard about this beautiful country!

1 . According to the 2000 census, 52 million Filipinos speak English, making the Philippines the fifth largest English-speaking population in the world: the US, India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom.

2 . Of the top 10 largest shopping centers in the world, there are 3 shopping centers belonging to the Philippines: SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, and SM Mall of Asia.

3 . The Puerto Princesa underground river on 8.2km long island of Palawan is considered the longest underground river in the world, until a new 10km long underground river is discovered in Mexico.

Puerto Princesa underground river in Palawan island used to be the longest underground river in the world.(Photo: Globalcitizen01).

4 . Ferdinand Magellan the Spanish maritime explorer arrived in the Philippines in 1521, marking the beginning of the Spanish colonial rule on the archipelago, in 377 years.

5 . The Filipino name was set by Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos to pay homage to King Phiip II of Spain at the time.

6 . As a consequence of being influenced by Spanish culture, the country is predominantly Christian, with about 90% of the population being religious.

7 . The world's largest Christmas lamp was lit in San Fernando, Pampanga on December 24, 2002. With a diameter of 26.8m and a cost of 5 million pesos Philippines.

The world's largest Christmas light shines in the Philippines in 2002. (Photo: Nicoleabalde)

8 . In 2009, about 1.39 billion SMS messages were sent every day in the Philippines, making the country famous for its nickname 'the capital of messages'.

9 . Taal Volcano in Talisay, Batangas is the smallest and lowest volcano in the Philippines, nestled in the still active Taal lake in the world.

Taal Volcano in Talisay, Batangas is the smallest volcano in the Taal Lake.(Photo: Shutterstock).

10 . When the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines erupted on June 15, 1991, the amount of sulfuric ash that it released into the stratosphere caused global temperatures to drop by 0.55 degrees Celsius for two consecutive years. Earlier, the Pinatubo volcano had fallen asleep for six centuries.

11 . The Philippines is the leading coconut producer and exporter in the world, after producing 19.5 million tons of coconuts in 2010.

12 . Many people believe that karaoke was invented by Japan, but it was actually invented by a Filipino named Roberto Del Rosario and named him "singing by the system".

13 . The province of Camiguin is the second smallest province in the country in both area and population after Batanes, but it reverses to have the largest number of volcanoes per square kilometer in the world.

14 . The flag of the Philippines will change depending on the situation of the country, when there is a war, the red part will be placed above the blue part and in the peace period it is the opposite.

15. San Carlos University in Cebu was founded by a Spanish priest in 1595, making it the oldest university in Asia.

16 . Later, in 1611 the University of Santo Tomas (also known as 'Usté') was established in Manila. This is the largest Catholic university in the world. The University of Santo Tomas and the University of San Carlos are both older than Harvard University.

Santos Tomas University in the Philippines is the largest Catholic university in the world.(Photo: Huno).

17 . The shell of the Conus Gloriamaris sea snail has a very high value, such as the first snail shell found in the Philippines and auctioned up to $ 5,000.

18 . In 2002, the world's largest shoes were made in the city of Marikina. With dimensions of 5.3 m in length; 2.4 m dragon height and nearly 2 m height, with a total cost of up to 2 million pesos Philippines.

19 . The name of the capital Manila is taken from the name of a white flower commonly grown in mangrove forests, which local people also call 'nilad'.

20 . The Philippines has won at least 8 beauty titles in major beauty contests around the world, including: 2 Miss Universe, 5 International Misses and 1 Miss World.

21 . The terraced fields of Cordilleras of the Philippines built 2,000 years ago, were UNESCO workers as world heritage in 1995.

The terraced fields of Cordilleras were recognized as world heritage in 1995. (Photo: Thinkstock).

22 . The Philippines Reticulated Python Snake is the largest and longest snake in the world. Adults can be up to 8.7m long.

23 . In this island nation, you can find the world's sweetest mango, and the largest pineapple in the world.

24 . About 125 to 170 languages ​​are spoken in the Philippines

25 . The Philippines welcomed its 100,000,000-dollar citizen on July 27, 2014, making it the 12th most populous country in the world.

The Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world.(Photo: Pajamaphotography).