Puerto Rico

From Imakoopedia

Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island that is a dependent territory of the United States of America in Central America. Located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico lies on a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal - the Mona Passage.

Table of contents

1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 18 External links 19 Geography 20 People 21 Government 22 Economy 23 Communications 24 Transportation 25 Military

Regions

• Culebra
• Vieques, also known as Isla Nina or Little Girl Island, is a small, rural island approximately 18 miles East of Puerto Rico.

Administrative divisions 

none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

Cities

• San Juan - Capital - Has one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean.
• Guanica
• Guayanilla
• Guayama
• Playa de Ponce

Other destinations

Understand

Climate

Tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Natural hazards 

periodic droughts; hurricanes

Terrain

Mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas. Many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north.

Highest point 

Cerro de Punta 1,338 m

History

Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917 and popularly elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self-government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998 voters chose to retain U.S. commonwealth status, rather than become the 51st state of the United States of America.

Get in

By plane

By boat

Get around

Talk

Languages 

Spanish, English

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

External links

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Geography

Geographic coordinates 

18 15 N, 66 30 W

Area 

total: 9,104 sq km
water: 145 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

501 km

Maritime claims 

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural resources 

some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Land use 

arable land: 3.72%
permanent crops: 5.07%
other: 91.21% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

400 sq km (1998 est.)

Environment - current issues 

erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages

People

Population 

3,957,988 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 23.5% (male 476,726; female 453,782)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,249,850; female 1,353,438)
65 years and over: 10.7% (male 180,053; female 244,139) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

0.51% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

15.04 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

-2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 75.96 years
female: 80.66 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.5 years

Total fertility rate 

1.9 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

7,397 (1997)

Nationality 

noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican

Ethnic groups 

white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%

Religions 

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88% (1980 est.)

Government

Country name 

conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Dependency status 

commonwealth associated with the US

Government type 

commonwealth

Independence 

none (commonwealth associated with the US)

National holiday 

US Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

Constitution 

ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952

Legal system 

based on Spanish civil code and adapted US state laws

Suffrage 

18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch 

election results: Sila M. CALDERON (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.6%
note: residents of Puerto Rico do not vote for US president and vice president
elections: governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
head of government: Governor Sila M. CALDERON (since 2 January 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature

Legislative branch 

note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - percent of vote by party - PPD 49.3%; seats by party - PPD 1; Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA elected resident commissioner
elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)

Judicial branch 

Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)

Political parties and leaders 

National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Luis FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Carlos PESQUERA]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Sila M. CALDERON]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]

Political pressure groups and leaders 

Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution

International organization participation 

Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate)

Flag description 

five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

Economy

Economy - overview 

Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $43.9 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

2.2% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $11,200 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 1%
industry: 45%
services: 54% (1999 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

5.7% (2000 est.)

Labor force 

1.3 million (2000) (2000)

Labor force - by occupation 

agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate 

9.5% (2000) (2000)

Budget 

revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00)

Industries 

pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products; tourism

Electricity - production 

20.497 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1%

Electricity - consumption 

19.062 billion kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens

Exports 

$38.5 billion f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities 

pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment

Exports - partners 

US 88% (2000)

Imports 

$27 billion c.i.f. (2000)

Imports - commodities 

chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products

Imports - partners 

US 60% (2000)

Currency 

US dollar (USD)

Currency code 

USD

Exchange rates 

the US dollar is used

Fiscal year 

1 July - 30 June

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

1.322 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

169,265 (1996)

Telephone system 

general assessment: modern system, integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios 

2.7 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

18 (plus three stations of the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service) (1997)

Televisions 

1.021 million (1997)

Internet country code 

.pr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

76 (2000)

Internet users 

600,000 (2002)

Transportation

Railways 

total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge,
note: rural, narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger service (2001)

Highways 

total: 14,400 km
paved: 14,400 km
unpaved: 0 km (1996)

Merchant marine 

total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,046 GRT/22,582 DWT
ships by type: container 1 (2002 est.)

Airports 

30 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 19
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 10 (2002)

Military

Military branches 

no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of the US