Philippines

Quick facts

How to spot Philippines from satellite imagery

The Philippines consists of 7,641 islands scattered across roughly 300,000 square kilometres of the western Pacific, between Taiwan to the north and Indonesia and Malaysia to the south. The country is divided into three main island groups — Luzon in the north, the Visayas in the middle, and Mindanao in the south — plus thousands of smaller islands and reefs. The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, with 23 active volcanoes, frequent earthquakes, and some of the most dynamic geology on Earth.

For geography games, the Philippines shows up regularly and has aerial signatures distinctive enough to lock in quickly once you know what to look for. This guide walks through the cues that identify the country and tell you which of the three island groups you have landed on.