[syn: Puerto Rico, Porto Rico]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Puerto Rico
n 1: a self-governing commonwealth associated with the United
States occupying the island of Puerto Rico [syn: Puerto
Rico, Porto Rico, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, PR]
2: the smallest and easternmost of the Greater Antilles in the
Caribbean [syn: Puerto Rico, Porto Rico]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Puerto Rico
Introduction Puerto Rico
------------------------
Background: 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
commonwealth status.
Geography Puerto Rico
---------------------
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
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
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
Climate: tropical marine, mild; little
seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains, with coastal plain
belt in north; mountains precipitous
to sea on west coast; sandy beaches
along most coastal areas
Elevation extremes: 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 use: arable land: 3.72%
permanent crops: 5.07%
other: 91.21% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 400 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; hurricanes
Environment - current issues: erosion; occasional drought causing
water shortages
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
People Puerto Rico
------------------
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 - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 7,397 (1997)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
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%
Languages: Spanish, English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88% (1980 est.)
Government Puerto Rico
----------------------
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
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
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: chief of state: President George W.
BUSH of the US (since 20 January
2001); Vice President Richard B.
CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
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: 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 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: bicameral Legislative Assembly
consists of the Senate (28 seats;
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)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - PPD 19, PNP 8, PIP 1, other
1; House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PPD 30, PNP 20, 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 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 Armed Forces for National Liberation
leaders: or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular
Resistance; Boricua Popular Army
(also known as the Macheteros);
Volunteers of the Puerto Rican
Revolution
International organization Caricom (observer), ECLAC
participation: (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU,
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL,
WFTU, WHO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (commonwealth associated with
the US)
Diplomatic representation from the none (commonwealth associated with
US: the US)
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 Puerto Rico
-------------------
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.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.7% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.3 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 3%, industry 20%,
services 77% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.5% (2000)
Budget: revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (FY99/00)
Industries: pharmaceuticals, electronics,
apparel, food products; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 20.497 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.22%
hydro: 0.78%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 19.062 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 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)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Currency code: USD
Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Puerto Rico
--------------------------
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: 200,000 (2000)
Transportation Puerto Rico
--------------------------
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)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa
de Ponce, San Juan
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 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 9 (2001)
Military Puerto Rico
--------------------
Military branches: no regular indigenous military
forces; paramilitary National Guard,
Police Force
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
Transnational Issues Puerto Rico
--------------------------------
Disputes - international: none