The Philippines was a Spanish colony from 1565 to 1898. Even today the people follow many Spanish customs and many are Roman Catholics. In 1898, the islands were ceded to the United States following the Spanish-American War. They attained full independence in 1946 after being occupied by the Japanese in World War II. The 21-year rule of Ferdinand Marcos ended in 1986, when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile. The Philippines has had two electoral presidential transitions since Marcos’ removal. In January 2001, the Supreme Court declared Joseph Estrada unable to rule, in view of mass resignations from his government, and administered the oath of office to Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as his constitutional successor. Along with numerous economic issues causing 32 to 50 percent of the population to live below the poverty line, the government also is recovering from the closing of all U.S. military bases in the Philippines in 1992. On the southern island of Mindanao, a Muslim minority seeks to establish an independent Islamic state. While farming is the chief source of livelihood for 55 percent of the labor force, a little more than half the people live in cities. More than 13 million live in Manila, the capital city.