Islas Filipinas or the Spanish East Indies was a term to describe Spanish possessions in the East Indies. Primarily, it is used to describe the Philippines and the latter's dependencies, Guam and the other islands of the Marianas, Palau and Micronesia. Following the Spanish-American War in 1898, most of the islands, primarily the Philippines and Guam, were occupied by the United States while the rest were sold to Germany. However, the kings of Spain (including the current monarch) still continued to use the title 'King of the Spanish East Indies' as part of their full style.
Terminology
The Spanish gave several places in the Spanish East Indies names which are never used. Examples of such are Gran Moluccas ('Great Molluccas') for Mindanao island, Nueva Filipinas (New Philippines) for the Caroline Islands and Nueva Castilla (New Castile) for Luzon island.
Influence of Spain
Spain's influence on her former colonies in Asia and Oceania are undebatable, and to this day, the majority of the people of the Philippines, Guam, Marianas Islands and Palau have remained Roman Catholics. Also, a minority, particularly in the Philippines, Guam and the Marianas Islands, have Mestizo ancestry.
Influence of the Philippines
During the Spanish Colonial Era, political prisoners (primarily Filipino revolutionists) who were convicted of treason were deported to both Guam and the Marianas Islands. In doing this, the Spanish significantly influenced both the bloodline and the culture of the inhabitants of these places. In Guam and the Marianas Islands, the Philippine influence has been strong. The native people of Guam, the Chamorro, are of mixed Austronesian, Spanish, and Filipino blood, while due to the influx of immigrants from the Philippines, three in ten Guamanians have a direct Filipino ancestor. Chamorro's nearest language relatives are found in the Philippines, and many Filipinos and Chamorros have word cognates.
In Palau, 16% of the population is composed of ethnic Filipinos, who are primarily descendants of exiled political prisoners. Also, Filipinos now constitute the majority in the Northern Mariana Islands, the second most numerous in both Guam and Palau, and a minority in the Caroline Islands.
Governance of the Spanish East Indies
The Spanish East Indies were governed from Mexico City in the Viceroyalty of New Spain (now called Mexico). During the 1800s, when Mexico became independent of Spain, the Philippines was declared a province of Spain, (Filipinas), which technically included the Philippine Archipelago, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, Palau and the Caroline Islands. The province was governed from Manila, the citadel of the Spanish governor-general, while the religious orders were governed from Cebu.
Following Mexican independence and the declaration of provincial status, several parts of the Spanish East Indies were ceded to other countries. One example of such is the cession of the Caroline Islands to Germany.