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Manila has one of the largest populations in the world. The capitol of the
Philippines, it's estimated that a quarter to a third of the city's population
lives in slums or squatter settlements in various areas around the metro area.
Because of the overcrowding, tragedies, such as last summer's the trash slide
at Payatas, Quezon City in Metro Manila killed about 1000 people who live
and work there.
Manila's history is a story of colonization for about 350 years by the Spanish
from its founding in 1571 and then by a few other countries. The
Philippines finally became independent in 1946, but has experienced a lot
of political turmoil and corruption since, as evidenced by the current
events of the presidency. Because of the influence of the Spanish, the main
cultural
religion is Roman Catholic. Tagalog is the main language of the people
spoken there, but English is used in businesses, schools, and by the national
media.
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