Thursday, December 9, 2010, 10:56 PM
A brief introduction of Manila
Manila is The Philippines capital and is located on the western side of Luzon Island. The city is one of the most populated cities in the Philippines and is home to more than 14 million people.
The city of Manila was known by different names. The city was known for its trading since the 13th century, having an established and well organised flourishing civilization and also was known as Gintu which translated into ‘Land of Gold’. The name of the city was derived from the Tagalog phrase ‘may nila’ which means ‘there is nila’ as Nila, which is a plant that grew on the shores of the nearby bay and was used for soap making.
The Philippines was colonized by Spain for over three hundred years, occupied by the British for brief two years and Japanese and Americans for a short period of time. It was only until 1946 when Philippines gained its independence. This is why Manila is a huge city with varied culture and heritage.
