Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Latin: Joannes Est Nomen Eius Spanish: Juan es su nombre English: "John is his name"
Anthem: "La Borinqueña"
Capital (and largest city)		San Juan
Official languages		Spanish and English[1]
Ethnic groups		80. The flag of Puerto Rico consists of five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom alternating with white a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large The coat of arms of Puerto Rico were first granted by the Spanish Crown in 1511 and are the oldest arms still used in the New World. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's La Borinqueña is the national anthem of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. History of migration The inhabitants of Puerto Rico immediately before the first European contact were part of the Arawak group of Native Americans (also known as American San Juan (saŋ hwaŋ (from the Spanish San Juan Bautista, " Saint John the Baptist " is the Capital and largest municipality in An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States 5% Spanish, French, Italian, Corsican, 8. Situation in Louisiana In the 17th century the French settled the area in the New World known as New France. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging 19th century Corsica Corsica is an island located west of Italy and southeast of France. 0% Black 0. First Africans in Puerto Rico When Ponce de León and the Spaniards arrived in the island of " Borinken " (Puerto Rico they were greeted by the Cacique Agüeybaná 4% Taíno, 0. The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. 2% (Asian, Chinese), 11% Multiracial
Demonym		Puerto Rican
Government		Republican three-branch government
-	Head of State	George W. Bush
-	Federal Legislative Branch	United States Congress
-	Head of Government	Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Sovereignty		United States sovereignty. Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular A Chinese Puerto Rican is a person who was born or resides in Puerto Rico, but whose ancestors came from southern China. The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place A Puerto Rican ('puertorriqueño' ( Taíno term boricua) is a person who was born in Puerto Rico. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself [2]
Area
-	Total	9,104 km² (169th) 3,515 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 6
Population
-	July 2007 estimate	3,994,259 (127th in the world; 27th in U.S.)
-	2000 census	3,913,055
-	Density	438/km² (21st in the world; 3rd in U.S.) 1,115/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$77. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 4 billion (N/A)
-	Per capita	$19,600 (N/A)
Currency		United States dollar (USD)
Time zone		AST (UTC-4)
-	Summer (DST)	No DST (UTC-4)
Internet TLD		.pr
Calling code		+1  spec. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established The Atlantic Standard Time Zone (AST is a geographical region that keeps time by subtracting four hours from either Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time ( Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E +1-787 and +1-939

Puerto Rico (IPA: /ˌpwertoˈriko/), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: "Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" [literally, English: "Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"), is a semi-autonomous territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands. Area codes 787 and ( 939) (as an overlay, are the local Telephone Area codes of Puerto Rico. Area code 939 for Puerto Rico, operates as an overlay for the original local ( 787) Telephone Area code. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Autonomy ( Greek: Auto- Nomos - nomos meaning "law" one who gives oneself his/her own Law) is the right to Self-government The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with See also Culture of the Virgin Islands Music of the Virgin Islands Virgin Islands Creole The territory is composed of an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands and keys, the largest of which are Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian Vieques ( Spanish pronunciation: /'vjɛkɛs/ or /'bjɛkɛs/ or /'βjɛkɛs/ English pronunciation: or) in full Isla de Vieques, is an island "Mona Island" redirects here Mona is also an ancient or poetic name for the island of Anglesey or the Isle of Man. The main island of Puerto Rico is the smallest by land area but third largest by population among the four Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico). The Greater Antilles is one of three island groups in the Caribbean. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous Island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea.

Puerto Ricans often call the island Borinquen, from Borikén, its indigenous Taíno name. A Puerto Rican ('puertorriqueño' ( Taíno term boricua) is a person who was born in Puerto Rico. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. ^[3][4] The terms boricua and borincano derive from Borikén and Borinquen respectively, and are commonly used to identify someone of Puerto Rican heritage. The island is also popularly known as "La Isla del Encanto", which translated means "The Island of Enchantment. "

Contents 1 History 1.1 Pre-Columbian era 1.2 Spanish colony 1.3 United States colony 1.4 Commonwealth 2 Government and politics 3 Political status 3.1 Estado Libre Asociado 3.2 International status 3.3 Within the United States 3.4 Recent developments 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 6.1 Population and racial makeup 6.2 Genetics 6.3 Language 6.4 Religion 7 Migration to the United States 8 Culture 9 Sports 10 Education 11 Transportation 12 See also 13 Notes and references 14 External links

History

Main article: History of Puerto Rico

Pre-Columbian era

The history of the archipelago of Puerto Rico (Spanish for "Rich Port") before the arrival of Christopher Columbus is not well known. The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Archipelago of Puerto Rico by the Ortoiroid people between 3000 and 2000 BC Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer What is known today comes from archaeological findings and early Spanish accounts. The first comprehensive book on the history of Puerto Rico was written by Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra in 1786, 293 years after the first Spaniards arrived on the island. Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra (1745 - 1813 born in Estadilla, Spain, was a Benedictine Monk and the first Historian to extensively ^[5]

The first settlers were the Ortoiroid people, an Archaic Period culture of Amerindian hunters and fishermen. The Ortoiroid people were the first human settlers of the Caribbean In the sequence of North American Pre-Columbian cultural stages first proposed by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips in 1958 the Archaic period For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. An archaeological dig in the island of Vieques in 1990 found the remains of what is believed to be an Arcaico (Archaic) man (named Puerto Ferro man) dated to around 2000 BC. Between AD 120 and 400, the Igneri, a tribe from the South American Orinoco region, arrived. The Igneri were a pre- Colombian Ethnic group that was once part of the Arawak tribe South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a ORiNOCO is the brand name that was used for a family of wireless networking solutions by Proxim (previously Lucent) Between the 4th and 10th centuries, the Arcaicos and Igneri co-existed (and perhaps clashed) on the island. Between the 7th and 11th century the Taíno culture developed on the island, and by approximately 1000 AD had become dominant. The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. This lasted until Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer ^[6][7]

Spanish colony

When Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico during his second voyage on November 19, 1493, the island was inhabited by a group of Arawak Indians known as Taínos. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for Cassava flour was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. They called the island "Borikén" or, in Spanish, "Borinquen". ^[8] Columbus named the island San Juan Bautista, in honor of Saint John the Baptist. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Later the island took the name of Puerto Rico while the capital was named San Juan. San Juan (saŋ hwaŋ (from the Spanish San Juan Bautista, " Saint John the Baptist " is the Capital and largest municipality in In 1508, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León became the island's first governor to take office. This article is about the Spanish explorer soldiers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuriesfor other uses see Conquistador (disambiguation A Conquistador Juan Ponce de León ( IPA: /xwan'ponʒedele'on/ (1460 – July 1521 was a Spanish Conquistador. This list of governors of Puerto Rico includes all persons who have held that post either under Spanish or American rule ^[9]

The Spanish soon colonized the island. A bartizan or guerite is an overhanging wall-mounted Turret projecting from the walls of medieval Fortifications from the early 14th century Taínos were forced into slavery and were decimated by the harsh conditions of work and by diseases brought by the Spaniards. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another In 1511, the Taínos revolted against the Spanish; cacique Urayoán, as planned by Agüeybaná II, ordered his warriors to drown the Spanish soldier Diego Salcedo to determine whether the Spaniards were immortal. Urayoán was a Taíno " Cacique " (Chief famous for ordering the drowning of Diego Salcedo to determine if the Spanish were gods Agüeybaná (died 1510 and Agüeybaná II (died 1511 were brothers and the principal and most powerful Caciques ' (chiefs of the Taíno people Diego Salcedo (died 1511 was a Spanish soldier who allegedly lived during the colonization of the Americas. After drowning Salcedo, they kept watch over his body for three days to confirm his death. ^[10] The revolt was easily crushed by Ponce de León and within a few decades much of the native population had been decimated by disease, violence, and a high occurrence of suicide. African slaves were introduced to replace the Taíno. Puerto Rico soon became an important stronghold and port for the Spanish Empire. The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries Various forts and walls, such as La Fortaleza, El Castillo San Felipe del Morro and El Castillo de San Cristóbal, were built to protect the port of San Juan from European enemies. La Fortaleza, ( The Fortress) is the current Official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. Fort San Felipe del Morro —or El Castillo San Felipe del Morro in Spanish — is a sixteenth-century Citadel which lies on the northwestern-most point For the Spanish homonymous fort see Fort San Cristóbal (Spain. France, The Netherlands and England made several attempts to capture Puerto Rico but failed to wrest long-term occupancy. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland During the late 17th and early 18th centuries colonial emphasis was on the more prosperous mainland territories, leaving the island impoverished of settlers.

In 1809 a populist assembly based in Cádiz recognized Puerto Rico as an overseas province of Spain with the right to send representatives to the Spanish Court. Cádiz ( Spanish:) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of the same name, a province which is one of eight The Cortes Generales ( Spanish for General Courts or Cortes Españolas, Spanish Courts) is the Legislature of Spain. The representative, Ramon Power y Giralt, died soon after arriving in Spain. Admiral Ramon Power y Giralt (commonly known only as " Ramon Power " ( October 7, 1775 - June 10, 1813) was according to These constitutional reforms were reversed soon afterwards when autocratic monarchy was restored. Nineteenth century reforms augmented the population and economy, and expanded the local character of the island. After the rapid gaining of independence by the South and Central American states in the first part of the century, Puerto Rico and Cuba became the sole New World remnants of the large Spanish empire. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la

Toward the end of the 19th century, poverty and political estrangement with Spain led to a small but significant uprising in 1868 known as "Grito de Lares". Seeds for revolt DEMF --> In the 1860s the government of Spain was involved in several conflicts across Latin America It began in the rural town of Lares but was easily and quickly crushed when rebels moved to the neighboring town of San Sebastián. Lares (sing Lar, also called Genii loci or more archaically Lases) were ancient Roman deities protecting the house and San Sebastián is a municipality of Puerto Rico located south of Isabela and Quebradillas; north of Las Marías; east of Leaders of this independence movement included Ramón Emeterio Betances, considered the "father" of the Puerto Rican nation, and other political figures such as Segundo Ruiz Belvis. WikipediaPersondata --> Ramón Emeterio Betances y Alacán (April 8 1827 &ndash September 16 1898 was a Puerto Rican nationalist Segundo Ruiz Belvis ( May 13, 1829 &ndash November 3, 1867) was a dedicated abolitionist who also fought for Puerto Rico's right to independence In 1897, Luis Muñoz Rivera and others persuaded the liberal Spanish government to agree to Charters of Autonomy for Cuba and Puerto Rico. Luis Muñoz Rivera ( July 17, 1859 - November 15, 1916) was a Puerto Rican Poet, Journalist and Politician In 1898, Puerto Rico's first, but short-lived, autonomous government was organized as an 'overseas province' of Spain. The charter maintained a governor appointed by Spain, which held the power to annul any legislative decision, and a partially elected parliamentary structure. In February, Governor-General Manuel Macías inaugurated the new government under the Autonomous Charter. Manuel Macías y Casado (1845—1937 was a Spanish general He served as Governor-General of Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War and as General elections were held in March and the autonomous government began to function on 17 July 1898. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[11][12][13]

United States colony

On July 25, 1898, during the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico was invaded by the United States with a landing at Guánica. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Guánica (GWAH-nee-kah is a Municipality in southwestern Puerto Rico located on southern coast bordering the As an outcome of the war, Spain ceded Puerto Rico, along with Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam to the U. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated S. under the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris of 1898, signed on December 10, 1898, ended the Spanish-American War. ^[14]

The United States and Puerto Rico thus began a long-standing relationship. Puerto Rico began the 20th century under the military rule of the U. S. with officials, including the governor, appointed by the President of the United States. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The Foraker Act of 1900 gave Puerto Rico a certain amount of popular government, including a popularly-elected House of Representatives. The Foraker Act, officially the Organic Act of 1900, is a United States federal law that established civilian (limited popular government on the island of Puerto On 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act granted Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship and provided for a popularly-elected Senate to complete a bicameral Legislative Assembly. The Jones-Shafroth Act (1917 applies to the grant of citizenship to all citizens of Puerto Rico Article I section 8 clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization As a result of their new U. S. citizenship, many Puerto Ricans were drafted into World War I and all subsequent wars with U. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All S. participation. This new citizenship also saw a large increase of Puerto Rican migrants to the U. S.

Natural disasters, including a major earthquake, a tsunami and several hurricanes, and the Great Depression impoverished the island during the first few decades under American rule. The Puerto Rico earthquake of 1918 was a major Earthquake that struck the island of Puerto Rico at 1014am on October 11, 1918. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding Some political leaders, like Pedro Albizu Campos who led the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, demanded change. Pedro Albizu Campos (June 29 1893 or September 12 1891 &ndash April 21 1965 was a Puerto Rican Politician and advocate of Puerto Rican independence The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was first organized on September 17, 1922. On October 30, 1950, Albizu-Campos and other nationalists led a 3-day revolt (known as The Jayuya Uprising) against the United States in the town of Jayuya. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Jayuya Uprising, also known as the Jayuya Revolt or El Grito de Jayuya, refers to the revolt against the United States government in Puerto Jayuya is a Municipality of Puerto Rico located in the mountainous center region of the island north of Ponce; east of Utuado; and west of The United States declared martial law and attacked Jayuya with infantry, artillery and bombers. Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice On November 1, 1950, Puerto Rican nationalists Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo attempted to assassinate President Harry S Truman. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Griselio Torresola ( 1925 - November 1, 1950) born in Jayuya Puerto Rico, was one of two Puerto Rican Nationalists who attempted Oscar Collazo ( January 20, 1914 &ndash February 21, 1994) was one of two Puerto Ricans who attempted to assassinate U The assassination attempt on US President Harry S Truman occurred on November 1, 1950. Torresola was killed during the attack, but Collazo was captured. Collazo served 29 years in a federal prison, being released in 1979. Don Pedro Albizu Campos also served many years in a federal prison in Atlanta, Georgia, for seditious conspiracy to overthrow the U. S. government in Puerto Rico. ^[15]

The internal governance changed during the latter years of the Roosevelt–Truman administrations, as a form of compromise led by Muñoz Marín and others. It culminated with the appointment by President Truman in 1946 of the first Puerto Rican-born governor, Jesus T. Piñero. Jesús Toribio Piñero Jiménez ( April 6, 1897 - November 16, 1952) was the first native Puerto Rican to be appointed Governor

Commonwealth

In 1947, the U. S. granted Puerto Ricans the right to democratically elect their own governor. The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Luis Muñoz Marín was elected during the 1948 general elections, becoming the first popularly-elected governor of Puerto Rico. In 1950, the Truman Administration allowed for a democratic referendum in Puerto Rico to determine whether Puerto Ricans desired to draft their own local constitution. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita ^[16] A local constitution was approved by a Constitutional Convention on February 6, 1952, ratified by the U. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the controlling government document of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. S. Congress, approved by President Truman on July 3 of that year, and proclaimed by Gov. Muñoz Marín on July 25, 1952, the anniversary of the 1898 arrival of U. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. troops. Puerto Rico adopted the name of Estado Libre Asociado (literally translated as "Free Associated State"), officially translated into English as Commonwealth, for its body politic. This article is about US insular areas For US States that designate themselves as "Commonwealths" see Commonwealth (United States. Body politic or body corporate and politic means a State or one of its subordinate Civil authorities, such as a Province, Prefecture ^[17][18]

During the 1950s Puerto Rico experienced rapid industrialization, due in large part to Operación Manos a la Obra ("Operation Bootstrap"), an offshoot of FDR's New Deal, which aimed to transform Puerto Rico's economy from agriculture-based to manufacturing-based. Operation Bootstrap ("Operación Manos a la Obra" is the name given to the ambitious projects which industrialized Puerto Rico in the mid-20th century Presently, Puerto Rico has become a major tourist destination and a leading pharmaceutical and manufacturing center. Yet it still struggles to define its political status. Three plebiscites have been held in recent decades to resolve the political status but no changes have been attained. Support for the pro-statehood party, Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) and the pro-commonwealth party, Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) remains about equal. The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico ( NPP) ( Spanish: Partido Nuevo Progresista de Puerto Rico, PNP) is a Political party The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico ( PDP) ( Spanish: Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico, PPD) is a Political party The only registered pro-independence party, the Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP), usually receives 3-5% of the electoral votes. The Puerto Rican Independence Party ( Spanish: Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño, PIP) is a Puerto Rican political party that campaigns

On October 25, 2006, the State Department of Puerto Rico conferred Puerto Rican citizenship to Juan Mari Brás. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Juan Mari Brás (born December 2, 1925) is an advocate for Puerto Rican independence from the United States who founded the Puerto Rican ^[19] The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican Secretary of Justice determined that Puerto Rican citizenship exists and was recognized in the Constitution of Puerto Rico. Since the summer of 2007, the Puerto Rico State Department has developed the protocol to grant Puerto Rican citizenship to Puerto Ricans. ^[20]

Government and politics

Main article: Government of Puerto Rico

See also: Municipalities of Puerto Rico and List of political parties in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has a republican form of government,^[21] subject to U. Article III of the Puerto Rico Constitution grants all legislative powers of the national government to the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico which is divided into two chambers a 27 member Puerto Rico census statistical areasThere are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the United States Government but Puerto Rico has 78 Municipalities Political parties in Puerto Rico - list of political parties in Puerto Rico. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. ^[2] Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. Puerto Rico's head of state is the President of the United States. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The government of Puerto Rico, based on the formal republican system, is composed of three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Republicanism is the Value system of Governance that has been a major part of American civic thought since the American Revolution The Executive branch is headed by the Governor, currently Mr. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Anibal Acevedo Vila. The Legislative branch consists of a bicameral Legislative Assembly made up of a Senate upper chamber and a House of Representatives lower chamber. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the Legislative branch of the Government of Puerto Rico. The Senate of Puerto Rico is the Upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, smaller than the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico (Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico is the Lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, larger than the The Senate is headed by the President of the Senate, while the House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker of the House. The Judicial branch is headed by the Chief Justice of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State The legal system is a mix of the civil law and the common law systems. Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive The governor and legislators are elected by popular vote every four years. Members of the Judicial branch are appointed by the governor with the "advice and consent" of the Senate.

Puerto Rico has limited representation in the U. S. Congress in the form of a nonvoting delegate, formally called a Resident Commissioner (currently Luis Fortuño). The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico (Spanish El Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico) is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected Luis G Fortuño Burset (born October 31, 1960 in San Juan Puerto Rico) is a Corporate lawyer and Politician from Puerto The current Congress has returned the Commissioner's power to vote in the Committee of the Whole, but not on matters where the vote would represent a decisive participation. In the United States House of Representatives, the Committee of the Whole, short for Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union is a parliamentary device ^[22] Puerto Rican elections are governed by the Federal Election Commission;^[23][24] While residing in Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans cannot vote in U. The Federal Election Commission (or FEC) is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the S. presidential elections, but they can vote in primaries. The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses is one of the first steps in the process of electing the President of the United States of America. Puerto Ricans who become residents of a U.S. state can vote in presidential elections. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government

As Puerto Rico is not an independent country, it hosts no embassies. A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in It is host, however, to consulates from 42 countries, mainly from the Americas and Europe. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Most consulates are located in San Juan. The Holy See has designated the Papal Nuncio in the Dominican Republic as the ecclesiastical liaison to the Roman Catholic Church in Puerto Rico; the Papal Nuncio in Washington, D. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic C. serves as the Vatican State's ambassador to the U. S. and the ecclesiastical liaison to the American Roman Catholic Church.

As an unincorporated territory of the United States, Puerto Rico does not have any first-order administrative divisions as defined by the U. S. government, but has 78 municipalities at the second level. A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or Mona Island is not a municipality, but part of the municipality of Mayagüez. "Mona Island" redirects here Mona is also an ancient or poetic name for the island of Anglesey or the Isle of Man. Mayagüez redirects here For the US ship of the same name see ''SS'' Mayagüez. ^[25] Municipalities are subdivided into wards or barrios, and those into sectors. Barrio is a Spanish word meaning District or Neighborhood. The Word has come into use in English mostly through the large Each municipality has a mayor and a municipal legislature elected for a four year term. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The municipality of San Juan (previously called "town"), was founded first, in 1521, San Germán in 1570, Coamo in 1579, Arecibo in 1614, Aguada in 1692 and Ponce in 1692. San Germán (sahn her-MAHN is a municipality located in the southwestern region of Puerto Rico, south of Mayagüez and Maricao; north of Lajas Coamo is a Municipality in Puerto Rico located in the southern region north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas Arecibo (ah-re-SEE-boh is a municipality in the northern midwest coast of Puerto Rico and located by the Atlantic Ocean north of Utuado and Ciales Aguada (pronounced as /aγ'waða in Spanish and as ˌæˈgwɑdə in English is a Municipality of Puerto Rico, located in the Costal Valley of the West region Ponce ( IPA) officially the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Southern Coastal Plain region An increase of settlement saw the founding of 30 municipalities in the 18th century and 34 in the 19th. Six were founded in the 20th century; the last was Florida in 1971. Florida (flo'ɾida is a Municipality of Puerto Rico located north of Ciales, south of Barceloneta, east of Arecibo, and west ^[26]

From 1952 to present, Puerto Rico has had 3 political parties which stand for three distinct future political scenarios. The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) seeks to maintain the island's "association" status as a commonwealth, improved commonwealth and/or seek a true free sovereign-association status or Free Associated Republic, and has won a plurality vote in referendums on the island's status held over six decades after the island was invaded by the U. The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico ( PDP) ( Spanish: Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico, PPD) is a Political party S. The New Progressive Party (PNP) seeks statehood. The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico ( NPP) ( Spanish: Partido Nuevo Progresista de Puerto Rico, PNP) is a Political party 51st state, in American political discourse, is a phrase that refers to territories considered candidates for addition to the fifty states The Puerto Rican Independence Party seek independence. The Puerto Rican Independence Party ( Spanish: Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño, PIP) is a Puerto Rican political party that campaigns The political movement for Puerto Rican Independence ( Lucha por la Independencia Puertorriqueña) has existed since the mid-19th century and has advocated Independence In 2007, a fourth party, Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR), was ratified. The Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party ( Spanish: Partido Puertorriqueños por Puerto Rico, PPR) is a Puerto Rican Political party The PPR seeks to address the islands problems (including its status) from a status-neutral platform. Non-registered parties include the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, the Socialist Workers Movement (Puerto Rico), the Hostosian National Independence Movement, and others. The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was first organized on September 17, 1922. A Puerto Rican Democratic Socialist Revolutionary organization dedicated to the Self-organization and self-emancipation of the The Hostosian National Independence Movement ( Spanish: Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano, MINH is a leftist

Political status

Main articles: Politics of Puerto Rico and Political status of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is an “unincorporated territory” of the United States which according to the United States Supreme Court is “a territory appurtenant and belonging to the United States, but not a part of the United States. Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" still treated by the U Puerto Rican Status Referenda have been held four times to determine the political status of the island of Puerto Rico in relation to the United States of America. ” ^[27] Puerto Rico is subject to the Congress’ plenary powers under the “territorial clause” of Article IV, sec. 3, of the U. S. Constitution. ^[28] United States federal law is applicable to Puerto Rico, even though Puerto Rico is not a state of the American Union and has no voting representative in the United States Congress. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Due to the establishment of the Federal Relations Act of 1950 all federal laws that are “not locally inapplicable” are automatically the law of the land in Puerto Rico. ^[29]

Estado Libre Asociado

In 1950, the U. S. Congress granted Puerto Ricans the right to organize a constitutional convention via a referendum. Puerto Ricans expressed their support for this measure in 1951 with a second referendum being held to ratify the constitution. The Constitution of Puerto Rico was formally adopted on July 3, 1952. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the controlling government document of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Constitutional Convention specified the name by which the body politic would be known. Body politic or body corporate and politic means a State or one of its subordinate Civil authorities, such as a Province, Prefecture On February 4, 1952, the convention approved Resolution 22 which chose in English the word "Commonwealth", meaning a "politically organized community" or "state," which is simultaneously connected by a compact or treaty to another political system. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about US insular areas For US States that designate themselves as "Commonwealths" see Commonwealth (United States. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. The convention adopted a translation into Spanish of the term, inspired by the Irish saorstát (Free State) of "Estado Libre Asociado" (ELA) to represent the agreement. Free state is a term occasionally used in the official titles of some states Literally translated into English the phrase Estado Libre Asociado means "Associated Free State. "

In 1967, the Legislative Assembly tested the political interests of the Puerto Rican people by passing a plebiscite Act that provided for a vote on the status of Puerto Rico. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita This constituted the first plebiscite by the Legislature for a choice on three status options (continued Commonwealth, statehood, and independence). The Commonwealth option, represented by the PDP, won with a majority of 60. 4% of the votes. After the plebiscite, efforts in the 1970s to enact legislation to address the status issue died in Congressional committees. In subsequent plebiscites on 1993 and 1998 the status quo was upheld. ^[30]

International status

On November 27, 1953, shortly after the establishment of the Commonwealth, the General Assembly of the United Nations approved Resolution 748, removing Puerto Rico's classification as a non-self-governing territory under article 73(e) of the Charter from UN. Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security A United Nations General Assembly Resolution is voted on by all member states of the United Nations in the General Assembly. The United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories documents countries that according to the United Nations, are non- decolonized. But the General Assembly did not apply its full list of criteria to Puerto Rico to determine if it has achieved self-governing status. According to the White House Task Force on Puerto Rico's Political Status in its December 21, 2007 report, the U. S. , in its written submission to the UN in 1953, never represented that Congress could not change its relationship with Puerto Rico without the territory's consent. ^[31] It stated that the U. S. Justice Department in 1959 reiterated that Congress held power over Puerto Rico pursuant to the Territorial Clause^[32] of the U. S. Constitution. ^[31] In a 1996 report on a Puerto Rico status political bill, the "U.S. House Committee on Resources stated that PR's current status does not meet the criteria for any of the options for full self-government". The US House Committee on Natural Resources, or Natural Resources Committee (often referred to as simply "Resources" as in "He's on Resources" is a It concluded that PR is still an unincorporated territory of the U. S. under the territorial clause, that the establishment of local self-government with the consent of the people can be unilaterally revoked by the U. S. Congress, and that U. S. Congress can also withdraw the U. S. citizenship of PR residents of PR at any time, for a legitimate Federal purpose. ^[33] The application of the Constitution to Puerto Rico is limited by the Insular Cases. The Insular Cases are several US Supreme Court cases decided early in the 20th century

Within the United States

Under the Constitution of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico is described as a 'Commonwealth' and Puerto Ricans enjoy a degree of administrative autonomy similar to that of a U.S. state. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the controlling government document of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. An autonomous area is an area of a Country that has a degree of Autonomy, or freedom from an external authority A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Puerto Ricans are statutory U. S. citizens, but since Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory and not a U. Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U S. state, the U.S. Constitution does not enfranchise U. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "voting tablet" and figuratively "right to vote" probably from suffrago "hough" and originally S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico does participate in the internal political process of both the Democratic and Republican parties in the U. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. S. , accorded equal-proportional representation in both parties, and delegates from the islands vote in each party's national convention.

Puerto Rico is classified by the U. S. government as an independent taxation authority by mutual agreement with the U. S. Congress. Contrary to common misconception, residents of Puerto Rico pay some U. S. federal taxes: import/export taxes, federal commodity taxes, social security taxes, etc. Most residents do not pay federal income tax but pay federal payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare), and Puerto Rico income taxes. The Payroll tax generally refers to two kinds of taxes: Taxes which Employers are required to withhold from Employees Pay, also known as Withholding Social Security, in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age Survivors and Disability Insurance ( OASDI) program This article refers to Medicare, a United States health insurance program But federal employees, or those who do business with the federal government, Puerto Rico-based corporations that intend to send funds to the U. S. and others also pay federal income taxes. Because the cutoff point for income taxation is lower than that of the U. S. IRS code, and because the per-capita income in Puerto Rico is much lower than the average per-capita income on the mainland, more Puerto Rico residents pay income taxes to the local taxation authority than if the IRS code were applied to the island. Residents are eligible for Social Security benefits upon retirement. But Puerto Rico is excluded from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and receives less than 15% of the Medicaid funding it would be allotted as a state, while Medicare providers receive only partial state-like reimbursements for services rendered to beneficiaries in Puerto Rico (even though the latter paid fully into the system). Supplemental Security Income (or SSI) is a monthly stipend provided to aged (legally deemed to be 65 or older blind or disabled persons based on need paid by the United Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources

Puerto Ricans may enlist in the U. S. military. Since becoming statutory United States citizens in 1917, Puerto Ricans have been included in the compulsory draft whenever it has been in effect. Puerto Ricans have participated in all U. S. wars since 1898, most notably World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, as well as the current Middle Eastern conflicts. Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States armed forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

Recent developments

The nature of Puerto Rico's political relationship with the U. S. is the subject of ongoing debate in Puerto Rico, the United States Congress, and the United Nations. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security ^[34][35] On 2005 and 2007, two reports were issued by the U. S. President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status. ^[36][31] Both reports conclude that Puerto Rico continues to be a territory of U. S. under the plenary powers of the U. S. Congress. ^[37][31] Reactions from the two major political parties were mixed. The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) challenged the task force's report and committed to validating the current status in all international forums, including the United Nations. It also rejects any "colonial or territorial status" as a status option, and vows to keep working for the enhanced Commonwealth status that was approved by the PPD in 1998 which included sovereignty, an association based on "respect and dignity between both nations", and common citizenship. ^[38] The New Progressive Party (PNP) supported the White House Report's conclusions and supported bills to provide for a democratic referendum process among Puerto Rico voters.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Puerto Rico

See also: Geology of Puerto Rico and Fauna of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico consists of the main island of Puerto Rico and various smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo, and Caja de Muertos. The geography of Puerto Rico describes an Archipelago located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic Puerto Rico is composed of Cretaceous to Eocene Volcanic and Plutonic rocks which are overlain by younger Oligocene to recent The fauna of Puerto Rico is similar to other island archipelago Faunas with high endemism, and low skewed taxonomic diversity. Vieques ( Spanish pronunciation: /'vjɛkɛs/ or /'bjɛkɛs/ or /'βjɛkɛs/ English pronunciation: or) in full Isla de Vieques, is an island "Mona Island" redirects here Mona is also an ancient or poetic name for the island of Anglesey or the Isle of Man. Desecheo is a small uninhabited Island of the Archipelago of Puerto Rico located in the northeast of the Mona Passage; 21 km from the west coast Isla de Caja de Muertos, or Caja de Muertos for short is an uninhabited Island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. Of the latter five, only Culebra and Vieques are inhabited year-round. Mona is uninhabited most of the year except for employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. There are also many other even smaller islands including Monito and "La Isleta de San Juan" which includes Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra. Monito Island is an uninhabited Island about 5 kilometers northwest of much larger Mona Island. See also San Juan Puerto Rico Old San Juan (Spanish Viejo San Juan is the oldest settlement within the territory of the United Puerta de Tierra is a district within San Juan Puerto Rico. It is located in Viejo San Juan or " Old San Juan " on the Isleta de San Juan, a

Puerto Rico has an area of 5,325 square miles (13,790 km²), of which 3,425 square miles (8,870 km²) is land and 1,900 square miles (4,900 km²) is water. ^[39] The maximum length from east to west is 110 miles (180 km), and the maximum width from north to south is 40 miles (64 km). ^[40] Comparing land areas, Puerto Rico is 8/10 the size of Jamaica^[41] and 8/100 the size of Cuba,^[42] the next smallest and the largest countries in the Greater Antilles, respectively. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Compared to U. S. states, it is larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined, but slightly smaller than Connecticut. Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The main island is mostly mountainous with large coastal areas in the north and south. The main mountain range is called "La Cordillera Central" (The Central Range). La Cordillera Central (The Central Mountain rangesis the main mountain range in Puerto Rico. The highest elevation in Puerto Rico, Cerro de Punta (4,390 feet; 1,338 m),^[43] is located in this range. Cerro de Punta (also known as Cerro Puntita is the highest peak of Puerto Rico measuring above sea level Another important peak is El Yunque, one of the highest in the Sierra de Luquillo at the El Yunque National Forest, with an elevation of 3,494 feet (1,065 m). This article refers to the mountain For information on the national forest see El Yunque National Forest. El Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest, is located on the island of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has 17 lakes, all man-made,^[44] and more than 50 rivers, most originating in the Cordillera Central. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the List of Rivers in Puerto Rico ( US Commonwealth) sorted by name Rivers in the northern region of the island are typically longer and of higher water flow rates than those of the south, since the south receives less rain than the central and northern regions. The volumetric flow rate in Fluid dynamics and Hydrometry, (also known as volume flow rate or rate of fluid flow) is the volume of fluid which

Puerto Rico is composed of Cretaceous to Eocene volcanic and plutonic rocks, overlain by younger Oligocene and more recent carbonates and other sedimentary rocks. The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the In Geology, an intrusion is a body of Igneous rock that has Crystallized from molten Magma below the surface of the Earth. The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene period and extends from about 33 In Chemistry, a carbonate is a salt or Ester of Carbonic acid. Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) ^[45] Most of the caverns and karst topography on the island occurs in the northern region in the carbonates. A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone The oldest rocks are approximately 190 million years old (Jurassic) and are located at Sierra Bermeja in the southwest part of the island. The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning They may represent part of the oceanic crust and are believed to come from the Pacific Ocean realm. Oceanic crust is the part of Earth's Lithosphere that surfaces in the Ocean basins The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions

Puerto Rico lies at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates and is being deformed by the tectonic stresses caused by their interaction. Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere This article discusses the geologic usage for the philosophical or architectural usage see Architectonics ' Or see Plate tectonics. These stresses may cause earthquakes and tsunamis. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when These seismic events, along with landslides, represent some of the most dangerous geologic hazards in the island and in the northeastern Caribbean. Seismology (from Greek grc σεισμός seismos, "earthquake" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Earthquakes A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement such as rock falls deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows which can occur A geologic hazard is one of several types of adverse geologic conditions capable of causing damage or loss of property and life The most recent major earthquake occurred on October 11, 1918 and had an estimated magnitude of 7. The Puerto Rico earthquake of 1918 was a major Earthquake that struck the island of Puerto Rico at 1014am on October 11, 1918. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 5 on the Richter scale. The Richter magnitude scale, or more correctly local magnitude M L scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released ^[46] It originated off the coast of Aguadilla and was accompanied by a tsunami. Aguadilla /ˌaγwa'dija/ or /ˌaγwa'diʝa/ or /ˌaγwa'didʒa/ founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova is a city located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico bordered

The Puerto Rico Trench, the largest and deepest trench in the Atlantic, is located about 75 miles (121 km) north of Puerto Rico in the at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates. The Puerto Rico Trench is an Oceanic trench located on the boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. ^[47] It is 1,090 miles (1,750 km) long and about 60 miles (97 km) wide. At its deepest point, named the Milwaukee Deep, it is 27,493 feet (8,380 m) deep, or about 5. Milwaukee Deep is the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean, with a maximum depth of 28231 feet (8605 meters and is part of the Puerto Rico Trench. 2 miles (8. 4 km). ^[47]

Located in the tropics, Puerto Rico enjoys an average temperature of 82. The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 4 °F (30 °C) throughout the year. Temperatures do not change drastically throughout the seasons. The temperature in the south is usually a few degrees higher than the north and temperatures in the central interior mountains are always cooler than the rest of the island. The Hurricane season spans from June to November. The following is list of Atlantic hurricane seasons. The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year when hurricanes usually form in the Atlantic Ocean The all-time low in Puerto Rico has been 40 °F (4 °C), registered in Aibonito. Aibonito (ei-bo-NEE-to is a small mountain town in Puerto Rico located in the Mountain range of Cayey north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and ^[48]

Species endemic to the archipelago are 239 plants, 16 birds and 39 amphibians/reptiles, recognized as of 1998. Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Most of these (234, 12 and 33 respectively) are found on the main island. ^[49] The most recognizable endemic species and a symbol of Puerto Rican pride is the Coquí, a small frog easily identified by the sound of its call, and from which it gets its name. See also the Wikipedia article about the Common Coquí (Eleutherodactylus coqui Most Coquí species (13 of 17) live in the El Yunque National Forest, a tropical rainforest in the northeast of the island previously known as the Caribbean National Forest. El Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest, is located on the island of Puerto Rico. Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF also known as tropical moist forests, are a Tropical and Subtropical Forest El Yunque is home to more than 240 plants, 26 of which are endemic to the island. It is also home to 50 bird species, including one on the top 10 endangered birds in the world, the Puerto Rican Amazon. An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation The Puerto Rican Amazon ( Amazona vittata) also known as the Puerto Rican Parrot or Iguaca, is a bird endemic to the Archipelago Across the island in the southwest, the 10,000 acres (40 km²) of dry land at the Guánica Dry Forest Reserve contain over 600 uncommon species of plants and animals, including 48 endangered species and 16 endemic to Puerto Rico.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Puerto Rico

In the early 1900s the greatest contributor to Puerto Rico's economy was agriculture and its main crop was sugar. The Economy of Puerto Rico is one of the most dynamic in the Caribbean region also ranking as the second biggest economy in the region only behind to the Dominican Republic Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture In the late 1940s a series of projects codenamed Operation Bootstrap encouraged a significant shift to manufacture via tax exemptions. Operation Bootstrap ("Operación Manos a la Obra" is the name given to the ambitious projects which industrialized Puerto Rico in the mid-20th century Manufacturing quickly replaced agriculture as the main industry of the island. Puerto Rico is classified as a high income country by the World Bank. The term " first world " refers to countries that are capitalist, which are technologically advanced and whose The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e ^[50][51]

Economic conditions have improved dramatically since the Great Depression due to external investment in capital-intensive industries such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and technology. Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of Petroleum or other Hydrocarbon origin The following is a list of the 50 largest Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies ranked by healthcare revenue Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt Once the beneficiary of special tax treatment from the U. S. government, today local industries must compete with those in more economically depressed parts of the world where wages are not subject to U. S. minimum wage legislation. In recent years, some U. S. and foreign owned factories have moved to lower wage countries in Latin America and Asia. Puerto Rico is subject to U. S. trade laws and restrictions.

Also, starting around 1950, there was heavy migration from Puerto Rico to the Continental United States, particularly New York City, in search of better economic conditions. The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District The City of New York Puerto Rican migration to New York displayed an average yearly migration of 1,800 for the years 1930-1940, 31,000 for 1946-1950, 45,000 for 1951-1960, and a peak of 75,000 in 1953. ^[52] As of 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more people of Puerto Rican birth or ancestry live in the U. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census S. than in Puerto Rico. ^[53]

On May 1, 2006, the Puerto Rican government faced significant shortages in cash flows, which forced the closure of the local Department of Education and 42 other government agencies. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis was a Political, Economic, and Social crisis that saw much of the Government of Puerto Rico shut All 1,536 public schools closed, and 95,762 people were furloughed in the first-ever partial shutdown of the government in the island's history. ^[54] On May 10, 2006, the budget crisis was resolved with a new tax reform agreement so that all government employees could return to work. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis was a Political, Economic, and Social crisis that saw much of the Government of Puerto Rico shut On November 15, 2006 a 5. 5% sales tax was implemented. Municipalities are required by law to apply a municipal sales tax of 1. 5% bringing the total sales tax to 7%. ^[55]

Tourism is an important component of Puerto Rican economy supplying an approximate $1. San Sebastian GateJPG|thumb|right|300px|The San Sebastian Gate home to an annual festival in Old San Juan. 8 billion. In 1999, an estimated 5 million tourists visited the island, most from the U. S. Nearly a third of these are cruise ship passengers. A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience A steady increase in hotel registrations since 1998 and the construction of new hotels and new tourism projects, such as the Puerto Rico Convention Center, indicate the current strength of the tourism industry. The Puerto Rico Convention Center ( PRCC) (or Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico in Spanish) is a Convention center located in

Puerto Ricans had a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $19,600 for 2007,^[25] By comparison, the poorest state of the Union, Mississippi, had a per capita GSP (nominal) of $24,062 in 2006. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States The United Nation's Human Development Index ranking is not regularly available for Puerto Rico, though the UN Development Program assigned it a . 942 score in 1998, which would place it among the top 15 countries in the HDI rankings. ^[56]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Puerto Rico

Population and racial makeup

During the 1800s hundreds of Corsican, French, Lebanese, Chinese, and Portuguese families arrived in Puerto Rico, along with large numbers of immigrants from Spain (mainly from Catalonia, Asturias, Galicia, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands) and numerous Spanish loyalists from Spain's former colonies in South America. History of migration The inhabitants of Puerto Rico immediately before the first European contact were part of the Arawak group of Native Americans (also known as American 19th century Corsica Corsica is an island located west of Italy and southeast of France. Situation in Louisiana In the 17th century the French settled the area in the New World known as New France. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. The Principality of Asturias ( Spanish: Principado de Asturias, Asturian: Principáu d'Asturies or Asturies) is an Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. The Balearic Islands ( Catalan and official Illes Balears; Spanish: Islas Baleares) are an Archipelago in the western Mediterranean Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area The Canary Islands ( English pronunciation kəˈnæriː ˈaɪləndz Spanish: Islas Canarias, ˈizlas kaˈnarjas are a Spanish Other settlers included Irish, Scots, Germans, Italians and thousands others who were granted land by Spain during the Real Cedula de Gracias de 1815 ("Royal Decree of Graces of 1815"), which allowed European Catholics to settle in the island with a certain amount of free land. Irish Potato Famine In Ireland during the 1840s Potato fungus created the Irish Potato Famine which killed over one million Irish people and created nearly Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Early German immigration According to Professor Ursula Acosta, the first German immigrants arrived in Puerto Rico from Curaçao and Austria during The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 is a legal order approved by the Spanish Crown in the early half of the 19th Century to encourage Spaniards and later Europeans This mass immigration during the 19th century helped the population grow from 155,000 in 1800 to almost a million at the close of the century. A census conducted by royal decree on September 30, 1858, gives the following totals of the Puerto Rican population at this time: 300,430 identified as Whites; 341,015 as Free colored; and 41,736 as Slaves. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. This article is about the term used for African-Americans You might be looking for Coloured people or Color (disambiguation. Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons — known as slaves — are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labour or services ^[57] More recently, Puerto Rico has become the permanent home of over 100,000 legal residents who immigrated from not only Spain, but from Latin America: Argentines, Cubans, Dominicans, Colombians and Venezuelans. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the

Emigration has been a major part of Puerto Rico's recent history. "Emigrant" redirects here For the Butterflies, see Catopsilia. Starting soon after WWII, poverty, cheap airfare and promotion by the island government caused waves of Puerto Ricans to move to the continental United States, particularly to New York City, New York; Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Camden, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Springfield and Boston, Massachusetts; Orlando, Miami and Tampa, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, California. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The City of New York Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County. Jersey City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Camden is the County seat of Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West This trend continued even as Puerto Rico's economy improved and its birth rate declined.

Demographic distribution Racial distribution Race - Puerto Rico - 2000 Census[58] Race Population  % of Total White 3,064,862 80. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. 5% Black/African American 302,933 8. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa 0% American Indian and Alaska Native 13,336 0. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Alaska Natives are Indigenous peoples of the Americas native to the state of Alaska within the United States. 4% Asian 7,960 0. Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular 2% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 1,093 0. "Kanaka" redirects here For the Tamil actress see Kanaka (actress. Pacific Islander (or Pacific Person, pl Pacific People, also called Oceanic[s] ' is a geographic term to describe the Austronesian 0% Some other race 260,011 6. 8% Two or more races 158,415 4. 2%

According to the 2000 U.S. Census there were almost four million inhabitants. Eighty percent of Puerto Ricans described themselves as "white"; 8% as "black"; 12% as "mulatto" and 0. Mulatto is a term used to describe a person with one white parent and one black parent or a person whose Ancestry is a mixture of black and white 4% as "American Indian or Alaska Native". Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Alaska Natives are Indigenous peoples of the Americas native to the state of Alaska within the United States. ^[59][60] (The U. S. Census does not consider Hispanic a race, and asks if a person considers himself Hispanic in a separate question. )

Genetics

A 2002 study of Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 800 Puerto Ricans found that 61. Mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) is the DNA located in Organelles called mitochondria. 1% had Amerindian maternal mtDNA, 26. 4% African, and 12. 5% Caucasian. ^[61] Conversely, patrilineal input showed that 70% of all Puerto Rican males have inherited Y chromosome DNA from a male European ancestor, 20% from a male African ancestor, and fewer than 10% from a male Amerindian ancestor. This suggests that the largest components of the Puerto Rican genetic pool are European/Caucasian, Amerindian, and African, in descending order.

In a study done on Puerto Rican women born on the island but living in NY in 2004, the ancestry proportions corresponding to the three parental populations were found to be 53. 3±2. 8% European, 29. 1±2. 3% West African, and 17. 6±2. 4% Native American based on autosomal ancestry informative markers. An autosome is a non-sex Chromosome. It is an ordinarily paired type of chromosome that is the same in both Sexes of a species. The study also showed 98% of the people sampled had European ancestry markers, 87% had African ancestry markers, 84% had Native American ancestry markers, 5% showed only African and European markers, 4% showed only Native American and European markers, 2% showed only African markers, and 2% showed only European markers. ^[62]

Language

The official languages are Spanish and English with Spanish being the primary language. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States In 2008, it is estimated that 50 percent of Puerto Ricans speak English fluently. English is taught as a second language in public and private schools from elementary levels to high school and also in universities. ^[63] Particularly, the Spanish of Puerto Rico, has evolved into having many idiosyncrasies that differentiates it from the language as spoken in other Spanish-speaking countries. Puerto Rican Spanish ( español puertorriqueño /ɛspa'ɲol pwɛɾ This is mainly due to the influences from ancestral languages, such as those from the Taínos and Africans, and more recently from the English language influence resulting from its relation with the United States.

Religion

The Roman Catholic Church has been historically the dominant religion in Puerto Rico. The first dioceses in the Americas was erected in Puerto Rico in 1511. In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. ^[64] All municipalities in Puerto Rico have at least one Catholic church (building), most of which are located at the town center or "plaza". Puerto Rico census statistical areasThere are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the United States Government but Puerto Rico has 78 Municipalities Protestantism which was suppressed under the Spanish regime has been encouraged under American rule making modern Puerto Rico interconfessional. Taíno religious practices have been rediscovered/reinvented to a degree by a handful of advocates. Various African religious practices have been present since the arrival of African slaves. In particular, the Yoruba beliefs of Santeria and/or Ifá, and the Kongo-derived Palo Mayombe find adherence among a few individuals who practice some form of African traditional religion. Santería, also known as La Regla de Lukumi (Lukumi's Rule and The Way of the Saints is an Afro-Cuban religious tradition derived from traditional beliefs Divination process Special instruments are used to assist in the Divination to transcribe Orunmila 's wisdom through the diviner The Bakongo or the Kongo people (meaning "hunter" also sometimes referred to as Congolese, live along the Atlantic coast of Africa Palo, or Las Reglas de Congo are a group of closely related denominations or religions of largely Bantu origin developed by slaves from Central Africa in See also Religion in Africa African traditional religions, also referred to as African indigenous religions or African

Migration to the United States

Puerto Ricans moved to the U. S. in hopes of a better life—particularly more employment and higher wages. Most moved to urban areas, particularly New York City, but also to cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Hartford, or Boston. In the 1920s, Puerto Rico still largely retained a rural, agricultural economy that began to decline in the era of growing industrialization and expanded capitalism in the U. S. Both men and women migrated. Families migrated with their children, but widowed women migrated with their children as well. ^[65]

Puerto Rican women, due to language barriers and racism, often received the lowest ranking jobs. Most Puerto Rican women acquired work in the food service or garment industries. In 1955, Puerto Rican skirtmakers in New York City produced 83 million items. ^[66] They worked long hours and received the lowest wages. Women who could not find work took jobs in the informal economy, helping to take care of other women’s children or helping with other women’s domestic chores.

By the 1950s, the Puerto Rican population in the U. S. had increased dramatically. Average yearly migration of Puerto Ricans to the U. S. was up to 1,800 from 191 in 1940 and increased to 45,000 between 1951 and 1960. Twenty percent of Puerto Rico’s population migrated to the U. S. in the 1950s. ^[67] By 1964, Puerto Ricans made up almost 10% of New York City’s population. ^[68] Today, more Puerto Rican descendants live in the continental U. S. than in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Ricans did not assimilate like other immigrant groups, and retained their culture and language. ^[69] U. S. policymakers believed Puerto Ricans were having too many children and that they had a poor work ethic. Women were seen as reproducing too much. ^[70] Because they did not stay in the home as women were expected to, Puerto Rican women were also considered inadequate mothers. Additionally, they were blamed for spreading immorality to their children and their larger community. ^[71]

Such ideas supported the sterilization of Puerto Rican women. Puerto Rico has a higher rate of female sterilization than any other country in the world, a phenomenon that also occurred in the U. S. ^[72] Beginning in the 1930s, U. S. officials declared an overpopulation of people in Puerto Rico. Instead of educating young women about contraceptives, doctors forced them to be sterilized. Many women had no idea that other options existed for them. The operations women were subjected to were often very dangerous and many women faced serious complications afterwards. ^[73]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican culture is a mix of four cultures, African (from the slaves), Taíno (Amerindians), Spanish, and more recently, North American. The culture of Puerto Rico is the result of a number of international and indigenous influences both past and present The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. From Africans, the Puerto Ricans have obtained the "bomba and plena", a type of music and dance including percussions and maracas. For the ecuadorian afro-rhythm see Bomba (Ecuador Bomba is one of Puerto Rico's most famous Musical styles Although there is some controversy Plena is a folkloric genre native of Puerto Rico. Its creation was influenced by African and Spanish music Maraca is also a genus of Tarantula. Maracas ( sometimes called rumba From the Amerindians (Taínos), they kept many names for their municipalities, foods, musical instruments like the güiro and maracas. The güiro is a Percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended hollow Gourd with parallel notches cut in one side Maraca is also a genus of Tarantula. Maracas ( sometimes called rumba Many words and other objects have originated from their localized language. From the Spanish they received the Spanish language, the Catholic religion and the vast majority of their cultural and moral values and traditions. From the United States they received the English language, the university system and a variety of hybrid cultural forms that developed between the U. S. mainland and the island of Puerto Rico. The University of Puerto Rico was founded in 1903, five years after the island became part of the U. Founded in 1903 the University of Puerto Rico ( Universidad de Puerto Rico in Spanish, UPR) is the oldest and largest University system in S.

Much of the Puerto Rican culture centers on the influence of music. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Like the country as a whole, Puerto Rican music has been developed by mixing other cultures with its own unique flavor. Early in the history of Puerto Rican music, the influences of African and Spanish traditions were most noticeable. However, the cultural movements across the Caribbean and North America have played a vital role in the more recent musical influences that have reached Puerto Rico. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting ^[74][75]

The official symbols of Puerto Rico are the bird, Reinita mora (Spindalis portoricensis), the flower, Flor de Maga (Thespesia grandiflora), and the tree, Ceiba or Kapok (Ceiba pentandra). The Puerto Rican Spindalis, Spindalis portoricensis, is a Tanager endemic to the island of Puerto Rico. For the children's book see The Great Kapok Tree. Kapok ( Ceiba pentandra) is a tropical Tree of the order The unofficial animal and a symbol of Puerto Rican pride is the Coquí (Eleutherodactylus coqui). The Common Coquí or Coquí ( Eleutherodactylus coqui) is a Frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus Other popular symbols of Puerto Rico are the "jíbaro" , the "countryman", and the carite. Jíbaro is a term meaning "hill" or forest people, commonly used in Puerto Rico to refer to mountain dwelling Peasants, but in modern Karaite Judaism or Karaism (ˈkærəˌaɪt ˈkærəˌɪzəm) is a Jewish movement NOTE The word sect should not be used without defining it first and

See also: Cuisine of Puerto Rico

Sports

Main article: Sports in Puerto Rico

Further information: Association Football in Puerto Rico

Baseball is the most popular sport in Puerto Rico. The cuisine of Puerto Rico has its roots in the cuisines of Spain and the Amerindian Taínos. Sports in Puerto Rico can be traced from the ceremonial competitions amongst the Pre-Columbian Native Americans of the Arawak also known as Taíno tribes Association Football is one of the leading sports of Puerto Rico, ranking only behind Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, and Juan Evangelista Venegas ( June 2, 1929 - 1980s was the first Puerto Rican to win an Olympic medal Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Puerto Rico has its own professional baseball league which operates as a winter league. No major league franchise or affiliate plays in Puerto Rico, however, San Juan hosted the Montreal Expos for several series in 2003 and 2004 before they moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals. Franchise history Creation of the franchise In 1960 Montreal lost its International League team the Montreal Royals (an affiliate of Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Washington Nationals is an American professional baseball team based in Washington D Puerto Rico has participated in the World Cup of Baseball winning one gold (1951), four silver and four bronze medals and the Caribbean Series, winning fourteen times. The Baseball World Cup is an international tournament in which national Baseball teams from around the world compete The Caribbean Series is a Baseball tournament the brainchild of the Venezuelans Oscar "El Negro" Prieto and Pablo Morales, who devised the idea Famous Puerto Rican baseball players include Roberto Clemente and Orlando Cepeda, enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 and 1999, respectively. Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18 1934 &ndash December 31 1972 was a professional baseball player and a Major League Baseball Right fielder. Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes (born September 17 1937 in) is a former Major League Baseball First baseman. ^[76][77]

Boxing, basketball, and volleyball are considered popular sports as well. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet Puerto Rico has the third-most boxing world champions and its the global leader in champions per capita. In Puerto Rico, Boxing is considered a major sport having produced more amateur and professional world champions than any other sport in its history These include Miguel Cotto, Félix Trinidad, Wilfred Benítez, and Wilfredo Gómez. Miguel Ángel Cotto (born October 29 1980 in Caguas Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. Félix 'Tito' Trinidad Jr (born January 10 1973 is a Puerto Rican professional boxer considered as one of the best boxers in that archipelago's history Wilfred Benitez (born September 12, 1958 in New York New York) is a Puerto Rican boxer. Wilfredo Gómez (born October 29, 1956) is a former boxer and three time world champion Secondary sports include Professional wrestling, association football and road running. Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Road running is the sport of Running on a measured course over an established Road (as opposed to track and Cross country running) The World Wrestling Council and International Wrestling Association are the largest wrestling promotions in the main island. The World Wrestling Council (WWC is one of Puerto Rico 's two main Professional wrestling promotions the other one being the International Wrestling Association The International Wrestling Association (IWA is a Wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Puerto Rico Islanders Football Club, founded in 2003, plays in the United Soccer Leagues First Division, which constitutes the second tier of football in North America. Puerto Rico Islanders is a Puerto Rican professional Soccer team founded in 2003. History In 1996 the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues established the new Select League consisting of its strongest teams from its professional FIFA Puerto Rico is also a member of FIFA and CONCACAF. The Puerto Rico national football team is the national team of Puerto Rico and is controlled by Federación Puertorriqueña de Fútbol. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) CONCACAF (the Confederation of North Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is the continent-wide governing body for football in North America, In 2008 the islands first unified league the Puerto Rico Soccer League was established. The Puerto Rico Soccer League or PRSL is an Association football league in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has representation in all international competitions including the Summer and Winter Olympics, the Pan American Games, the Caribbean World Series, and the Central American and Caribbean Games. The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years The Pan American Games are a Multi-sport event, held every four years between competitors from all nations of The Americas. The Caribbean Series is a Baseball tournament the brainchild of the Venezuelans Oscar "El Negro" Prieto and Pablo Morales, who devised the idea The Central American and Caribbean Games are the oldest continuing regional games Puerto Rican athletes have won 6 medals (1 silver, 5 bronze) in Olympic competition, the first one in 1948 by boxer Juan Evangelista Venegas. Juan Evangelista Venegas ( June 2, 1929 - 1980s was the first Puerto Rican to win an Olympic medal August 8, 2004, became a landmark date for the National Basketball Team when it defeated the United States in the 2004 Summer Olympics organized in Athens, Greece. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Puerto Rican national basketball team (or Puerto Rican national basketball selection) is the men's side that represents Puerto Rico in international Basketball The United States men's national basketball team is the representative for the United States of America in international men's Basketball. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία ^[78] On March 2006 San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium hosted the opening round as well as the second round of the newly formed World Baseball Classic. The Hiram Bithorn Stadium ( Estadio Hiram Bithorn in Spanish is a Baseball Stadium in San Juan Puerto Rico, operated by the municipal government The World Baseball Classic, sometimes abbreviated WBC, is an international Baseball tournament first held in March 2006.

Education

Main article: Education in Puerto Rico

Education in Puerto Rico is divided in three levels — Primary (elementary school grades 1-6), Secondary (intermediate and high school grades 7-12), and Higher Level (undergraduate and graduate studies). Education in Puerto Rico is divided in three levels — Primary (elementary school grades 1-6 Secondary (intermediate and high school grades 7-12 and Higher Level As of 2002, the literacy rate of the Puerto Rican population was 94. 1%; by gender, it was 93. 9% for males and 94. 4% for females. ^[79] According to the 2000 Census, 60. 0% of the population attained a high school degree or higher level of education, and 18. 3% has a bachelor's degree or higher. This ranks as worst and 6th worst, respectively, among U. S. states, where the national averages are 80. 4% and 24. 4%. ^[80]

Instruction at the primary school level is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 18 and is enforced by the state. The Constitution of Puerto Rico grants the right to an education to every citizen on the island. To this end, public schools in Puerto Rico provide free and non-sectarian education at the elementary and secondary levels. At any of the three levels, students may attend either public or private schools. The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered As of 1999, there were 1532 public schools^[81] and 569 private schools in the island.

The largest and oldest university system in Puerto Rico is the public University of Puerto Rico (UPR) with 11 campus. Founded in 1903 the University of Puerto Rico ( Universidad de Puerto Rico in Spanish, UPR) is the oldest and largest University system in The largest private university systems on the island are the Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez which operates the Universidad del Turabo, Metropolitan University and Universidad del Este, the multi-campus Inter American University, the Pontificial Catholic University, and the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. The Ana G Méndez University System &mdashor Sistema Universitario Ana G University of Turabo ( Universidad del Turabo) is a private, Non-profit, and Secular university system in Puerto Rico. The Metropolitan University &mdashor Universidad Metropolitana ( UMET) in Spanish &mdash is a private, Non-profit, and Secular Universidad del Este ( UNE) Eastern University in English &mdash is a private, Non-profit, and Secular University system The Inter American University of Puerto Rico —or Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico ( UIPR) in Spanish, and often referred as Inter — The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico is a catholic university located in Las Americas Avenue in Ponce Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has four schools of Medicine and four Law Schools.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Puerto Rico

Cities and towns in Puerto Rico are interconnected by a system of roads, freeways, expressways, and highways maintained by the Highways and Transportation Authority and patrolled by the Police of Puerto Rico. Transportation in Puerto Rico includes a system of roads highways freeways airports ports and harbors and railway systems serving a population of approximately An expressway is a Divided highway for high-speed traffic with at least partial Control of access. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve Law Enforcement under United States rule (since 1898 The United States took possession of Puerto Rico in July 1898 as a result of the Spanish American War and has The island's metropolitan area is served by a public bus transit system and a metro system called Tren Urbano (in English: Urban Train). A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses, also known in English as Metropolitan Bus Authority or by its initials in Spanish AMA, is a public bus transit system based A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The Tren Urbano &mdash or Urban Train in English &mdash is a 10 Other forms of public transportation include sea-born ferries (that serve Puerto Rico's archipelago) as well as Carros Públicos (Mini Bus), similar to jitney service on the United States. Types of vehicle Share taxis come in various Vehicle types including Minibuses Midibuses covered Pickup trucks Station wagons

The island's main airport, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, is located in Carolina and is a major hub in the Caribbean. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is a public Airport located in Carolina Puerto Rico 3 miles (5 km southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico Carolina (kah-ro-LEE-nah is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of The most recently renovated airport in the west of Puerto Rico is that of the former Ramey Military airbase in Aguadilla, Rafael Hernandez Airport, which has made it easier to explore the towns of the newly created tourism area known as "Porta del Sol. This article is about an airport located in Aguadilla Puerto Rico. " The main port of the island is San Juan Port. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo The Port of San Juan is a Seaport facility located in the metropolitan area of San Juan Puerto Rico.

See also

• List of Puerto Rico-related topics

Notes and references

External links

Puerto Rican government

• Official website (Spanish)

United States government

• Application of the U.S. Constitution in U.S. Insular Areas

United Nations (U. N. ) Declaration on Puerto Rico

• U.N. Decolonization Committee's press release on what it deems as the colonial political status of Puerto Rico

Country, Regions and territories profiles

• BBC Territory profile
• Encyclopaedia Britannica profile
• CIA - The World Factbook

Other

• Puerto Rico travel guide from Wikitravel

• Puerto Rico is at coordinates 18°14′N 66°00′W / 18.23, -66 (Puerto Rico)Coordinates: 18°14′N 66°00′W / 18.23, -66 (Puerto Rico)

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.

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