Flying Lemur - Philippines

Ferdinand Magellan died during a tribal skirmish on the Philippine island of Mactan. His global circumnavigation attempt took him three-quarters of the way before he was killed. Juan Sebastián Elcano gained command of the 17 survivors and managed to bring the Victoria, the last remaining ship, back to Spain in 1522. 

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Cynocephalus volans - The Philippine flying lemur is not a true lemur nor is it closely related to the lemurs of Madagascar; both are eutherian, a term describing placental mammals. Despite its name, the flying lemur does not fly. It has a large surface of loose skin known as a patagium. This flap of skin extends from the forelimbs to the tail. The flying lemur can stretch out this skin, similar in form to a kite, parachute or sail, and successfully glide from tree to tree. This method allows the lemur to “fly” for a distance of up to 100 meters.

Canango Tree - Philippines

Cananga odorata - Commonly called ylang-ylang by the locals, the cananga tree is native to the Philippines, but is cultivated throughout Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and the Comoros Islands. The cananga is a fast growing tree, averaging 12 meters in height. The clusters of fruit serve as an important food source for birds. The essential oils of the cananga tree, extracted from the drooping flowers, are used in the manufacturing of perfumes and as a food additive to enhance flavor.

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Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines in 1521 marked the beginning of a long association between Spain and the Philippines. In 1543, the islands were named in honor of King Philip II. Spain retained colonial control for more than 300 years, losing the Philippines to the United States in 1898, with the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. The Japanese briefly occupied the Philippines during World War II, but lost control back to the United States. The Philippines were granted independence in 1946.

Cities in Oceania

Honiara began as a small development in the vicinity of Henderson Field, a landing strip partially constructed by Japanese forces. The struggle for control of Henderson Field became the focal point in the Battle of Guadalcanal, a battle lasting from August 1942 until February 1943. The Allied forces prevailed and the air field was completed; it now serves as the main airport for the Solomon Islands.

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Jakarta was established as a trading center for the Sunda Kingdom, a state existing from 669 to 1579. In 1619, the city began serving as the administrative headquarters for the Dutch East Indies Company; the Dutch had renamed the city “Batavia.” Jakarta survived Dutch colonial rule, Japanese occupation, and a war of liberation to become, with over 30 million people, one of the world’s most populated metropolitan areas.

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Manila has been associated with several Asian kingdoms, but its longest foreign relationship was with Spain. The Spanish, under the leadership of Ferdinand Magellan, arrived in 1521. Although the first European encounter resulted in Magellan’s death, Spain succeeded in establishing a successful colony in the Philippines; Manila became one of the leading cities in Spain’s colonial empire.

Historical Flags of Oceania

Although the Philippines were under the control of Spain, the short-lived Republic of Biak-na-Bato was proclaimed as the first Philippine Republic in 1897 by Emilio Aguinaldo. The flag consisted of a disc featuring a human face emitting 24 beams of sunlight. The disc, sans the face, is still retained in the current Philippine flag. The Pacific Island Trust Territory was established by the United Nations and was administrated by the United States from 1947 to 1986. It included the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau. The Republic of Ezo existed from January to June of 1869. Located on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, it was the first Asian state to hold an open election. The Tongan flag was adopted in 1862. In 1864, the Red Cross was formed in Geneva, Switzerland and used the reverse pattern of the Swiss flag in tribute, a design matching the Tongan flag of 1862. Tonga changed its flag in 1866.