Demographics Of The Philippines

According to the 2000 Census, the population of the Philippines was 76,504,077.
The Aeta, who are genetically akin to Andamanese islanders and are known as the aboriginal inhabitants of the Philippines, constituting a distinct stock, number somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 people (<0.03%). The overwhelming majority of the population (95%), known as ethnic Filipinos, are made up of various ethnolinguistic groups descended from later Austronesian-speaking migrants who arrived in successive waves to the archipelago from Taiwan and admixed with other sporadic migrations from the Asian mainland (what is today southern China). The most significant foreign ethnic minority are the Chinese, who have played an important role in commerce since the 9th century when they first arrived in the Philippines for trade. Mestizos, those of mixed race, form a tiny but economically and politically important minority.
The most widely spoken language is Filipino, which is based on Tagalog, although thirteen regional languages are spoken as vernaculars throughout the Philippines. English serves as the primary lingua franca and as the language of commerce and the professions. Christianity is the main religion in the archipelago, with Roman Catholicism making up the majority. A small but significant minority profess Islam, particularly in the southern Philippines.
The people of the Philippines are known as Filipinos. Throughout the colonial era the term "Filipino" originally referred to only the Spanish and Spanish-mestizo minority. The definition, however, was later changed to include the entire population of the Philippines regardless of ethnic origin. Ironically, the term now somewhat excludes the Spanish-mestizo minority who are perceived by some Filipinos, and by many Spanish-mestizos themselves, to be foreign.

ETHNIC GROUPS

See Also: Ethnic groups of the Philippines

The Philippines has a richly varied population. Austronesians, Pacific Islanders, Chinese, Americans, Indians, Pakistanis, Koreans, and other Europeans are represented in the ethnic landscape. Some peoples, such as the Arabs as well as the descendants of the Nahuatl (Aztec) soldiers, havebeen thoroughly absorbed into the mainstream Filipino ethnicity. Since 1981, the Philippines has stopped counting people by race, and used language instead, as a classifying factor.

The people of the Philippines are called Filipinos . The term ''Filipino'' transcends racial and ancestral origins. Filipinos call themselves ''Pinoy''. According to recent genetic researches, Filipinos are primarily descendants of Austronesian-speaking migrants from Taiwan mixed in various degrees with the Southern Chinese. Filipinos are divided into 12 major ethnolinguistic groups, Tagalogs, Cebuanos, Ilocanos, Ilonggos, Bicolanos, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Waray, Karay-a, Maranao, Maguindanao, and Tausug. Other significant ethnic groups include the Ivatan, Gaddang, Ibaloi, Itawes, Yogad, Itogon, Kalinga, Tingguian, Isneg, Kalanguya, Kankana-ey, Romblomanon, Butuanon, Surigaonon, or Sama. Other minorities include the Cordilleranos, the Mindoro and the Palawan hilltribes, and the Mindanao tribes.

Filipino Mestizo s, those of mixed race, form a tiny (1% to 2%) but economically and politically important minority. A recent genetic study by Stanford University , however, indicates that 3.6% of the population has at least some European ancestry. {Link without Title}

Foreign minorities

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Demographics Of The Philippines