Published July 20, 2012 | By Natalie Shemwell and Amelia Whitehead

Comprised of over 7,000 islands, the Philippines is home to a diverse population speaking more than 87 different languages. The archipelago, first claimed by the Spanish in 1542, has since experienced numerous internal and external threats to its stability. The 1898 Treaty of Paris, which marked the end of the Spanish-American War, granted the United States control over the Philippines; however, American forces subsequently faced an armed insurgency aimed at resisting U.S. military rule. Endemic corruption, periodic shifts towards authoritarianism, and widespread poverty have plagued the country since it gained its independence in 1946.
 
Terrorism emanating from a small number of islands in the south of the country continues to constitute a significant security risk. Despite the government’s attempts at eliminating the problem, groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf continue to operate from isolated islands. A cease-fire between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was signed in 2008; however, in October 2011, government forces carried out air strikes in MILF-controlled territories in response to a surge in violence in the region. President Benigno Aquino III’s ascendancy to the presidency in June 2010 has marked the transition to a period of relative political stability.