Philippines

About 10 million Filipinos live outside the country, making one of the world's largest diasporas. It sneaks into the 13 countries strong 100-million club, by population. Consisting of 7,641 islands, various competing maritime states have been set up there over time. With over 300 years of Spanish colonization, Catholicism became the dominant religion. After Spain lost the American-Spanish war, The First Philippine Republic was declared. In the peace treaty, Spain sold the country to America. The locals had successfully fought off the Spanish, but America asserted its colonial status in the Philippine-American war, which it won. The Catholic Church was disestablished as the state religion and English was introduced as the language of government, education, and business. World War I was an Empire slayer. 1916 brought the Philippine Autonomy Act which was the first formal declaration of the United States' intention to grant independence. World War II delivered the knockout punch. In 1946, The USA relinquished sovereignty and recognised the independence of The Philippines. The wave of independence and decolonization also started in Africa.

Philip II of Spain