|
 |
|
|
|
|
Motto: |
Joannes Est Nomen Eius (John is his name) |
|
National Anthem: |
Since Puerto
Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States, the "official" anthem is "The
Star Spangled Banner", but the local anthem entitled "La Borinqueρa" is
more often heard on the island and is more identified with / by the
people. "La Borinqueρa was officially adopted in 1952 when Puerto Rico
became a Commonwealth.
CLICK HERE TO
LISTEN TO "La Borinqueρa" |
|
|
Location: |
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean
Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic .
|
Geographic
coordinates: |
18 15 N, 66 30
W |
|
| |
|
Background 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.
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
commonwealth status. |
|
|
Area: |
Total: 9,104
sq km
land: 8,959 sq km
water: 145 sq km
. |
|
Coastline |
501 km
|
|
Maritime
claims: |
Territorial
sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
|
Climate/ Terrain: |
|
Tropical marine, mild; little seasonal
temperature variation .mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in
north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches
along most coastal areas lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m |
|
|
Natural Resources: |
Some
copper and
nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil |
|
Land: |
Arable land: 3.95%
permanent crops: 5.52%
other: 90.53% (2001)
Irrigated 400 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural
hazards: |
Periodic
droughts; hurricanes |
|
Geography :note: |
Important
location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal;
San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean;
many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered;
south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north |
|
Population: |
3,916,632
(July 2005 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% |
|
Religion: |
Roman Catholic 85%,
Protestant and other 15% |
|
Languages: |
Spanish, English
|
|
Literacy: |
94.1% . age 15 and over can
read and write
|
|
Country Name: |
Conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico .conventional short form: Puerto Rico
|
|
Dependency Status: |
Commonwealth associated with
the US
|
|
Government Type: |
Commonwealth
|
|
Capital: |
San Juan |
|
Municipalities: |
There are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78
municipalities (municipios) 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 |
|
National holidays: |
US Independence Day, 4 July
(1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952) |
|
Constitution: |
Ratified 3 March 1952;
approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952 |
|
Legal
system: |
Based on Spanish civil code
and within the US Federal system of justice. |
|
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal;
island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential
elections |
|
Executive branch: |
Chief of state: President
George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)
Head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the
legislature
Elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for
four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of
vote - 48.4% |
|
Legislative branch: |
Bicameral Legislative
Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats - currently 29; members
are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the
House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November
2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be
held November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD
40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%, PIP
9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1
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 2 November 2004
(next to be held November 2008); results - percent of vote by party - PNP
48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1; Luis FORTUNA elected resident commissioner
|
|
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 [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New
Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular
Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto
Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS
Martinez] |
|
Political parties 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 |
|
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
- overview: |
Puerto Rico has one of the
most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial
sector has far 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 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US
economy, and has recovered in 2004. |
|
GDP: |
Purchasing power parity -
$68.95 billion (2004 est.) |
|
GDP -
real growth rate: |
2.7% (2004 est.) |
|
GDP -
per capita: |
Purchasing power parity -
$17,700 (2004 est.) |
|
GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1% industry:
45% services: 54% (2002 est.) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
6.5% (2003 est.) |
|
Labor
force: |
1.3 million (2000) |
|
Labor
force - by occupation: |
Agriculture 3%, industry
20%, services 77% (2000 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
12% (2002) |
|
Budget: |
Revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00)
Agriculture & Industrial products: |
|
Agriculture & Industrial products: |
Sugarcane, coffee,
pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens
pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism |
|
Electricity - production: |
22.09 billion kWh (2002)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
20.54 billion kWh (2002) |
|
Oil -
consumption: |
190,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Natural
gas - consumption: |
630 million cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural
gas - imports: |
630 million cu m (2001 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$46.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)
|
|
Exports
- commodities: |
Chemicals, electronics,
apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
Exports - partners: US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican
Republic 1.4% (2002 est.) |
|
Imports -
commodities: |
Chemicals, machinery and
equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Imports - partners: US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.) |
|
Imports: |
$29.1 billion c.i.f. (2001)
|
|
Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
1,329,500 (2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
1,211,111 (2001) |
|
Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0
(1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
6 (19 relay stations) (2004)
|
|
Internet country code: |
.pr |
|
Internet users: |
800,000 approx |
|
Railways: |
Total: 96 km |
|
Highways: |
Total: 25,328 km |
|
Ports
and harbors: |
Aguadilla, Arecibo, Fajardo,
Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Mayaguez, Playa de Ponce, San Juan |
|
Airports: |
30 (2004 est.) |
|
Military: |
No regular indigenous
military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force , defense is
the responsibility of the US |
|
|
