Spanish East Indies

It has been suggested that this article be merged into Captaincy General of the Philippines. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2024.

Spanish East Indies Indias orientales españolas (Spanish)
1565–1901
Flag (1843–1899) Coat of arms
Motto: Plus Ultra "Further Beyond"
Anthem: Marcha Real "Royal March"
Spanish East Indies
Status	Colonies of the Spanish Empire Territories of New Spain (1565–1821)
Official languages	Spanish
Common languages	Philippine languages Micronesian languages East Formosan languages Hokkien[a]
Religion	Catholicism (state religion), Islam, Philippine traditional religion, Micronesian traditional religion, Taiwanese aboriginal traditional religion, Overseas Chinese folk religion
Monarch
• 1565–1598 (first)	Philip II
• 1886–1898 (last)	Alfonso XIII
Legislature	Cortes Generales
Historical era	Spanish Empire
• Legazpi colonizes Cebu	27 April 1565
• Loss of Spanish Formosa	26 August 1642
• Philippine declaration of independence	12 June 1898
• United States annexation of the Philippines and Guam	10 December 1898[1]
• Sale of the remaining islands to Germany	12 February 1899
• Remaining islands ceded to the United States	23 March 1901
Area
1877[2]	345,155 km2 (133,265 sq mi)
Population
• 1877[2]	5,567,685
Currency	Spanish dollar, Spanish peseta
Preceded by Succeeded by New Spain 1642: Dutch Formosa 1898: Military Government of the Philippine Islands Guam 1899: German New Guinea
Today part of	Philippines Guam Taiwan Palau Northern Marianas Islands North Sulawesi Federated States of Micronesia

The Spanish East Indies (Spanish: Indias orientales españolas) were the colonies of the Spanish Empire in Asia and Oceania from 1565 to 1901, governed through the captaincy general in Manila for the Spanish Crown, initially reporting to Mexico City, then Madrid, then later directly reporting to Madrid after the Spanish American Wars of Independence.

The king of Spain traditionally styled himself "King of the East and West Indies" (Spanish: Rey de las Indias Orientales y Occidentales).

From 1565 to 1821 these territories, together with the Spanish West Indies, were administered through the Viceroyalty of New Spain based in Mexico City. After independence of the Mexican Empire, Manila reported directly to Madrid. The territories ruled included present-day Philippines, Guam and the Mariana Islands, as well as Palau, part of Micronesia and for a brief period Northern Taiwan and parts of North Sulawesi and the Moluccas (Dutch East Indies (VOC)). Cebu was the first seat of government, which later transferred to Manila.

As a result of the Spanish–American War in 1898, the United States occupied the Philippines and Guam, while Spain sold other smaller islands to Germany in the German–Spanish Treaty of 1899. The few remaining islands were ceded to the United States when the Treaty of Washington was ratified in 1901.

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