Is Philippines A Poor Country?

The Philippines are richly endowed with mineral and forest resources. The principal minerals are gold, copper, iron, chromite, manganese, salt, and coal. Other minerals found here include silver, lead, mercury, limestone, petroleum, nickel, and uranium.

Philippines is also covered by forest or woodland. Noted trees are rubber, apitong, yacal, lauan, camagón, ipil, white and red narra, and mayapis. Bamboo and cinnamon, clove, and pepper plants grow wild, as do numerous species of orchid. One of the most valuable indigenous plants is the abaca, or Manila hemp, a plantain, the fibre of which is used in making cordage, textiles, and hats. Animals and reptiles are numerous, and the islands contain about 760 species of birds, including colourful parrots and