|
|
|
|
|
|
Background: Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status.
|
|
|
|
Common Name: Puerto Rico
|
Local Official Name: Puerto Rico
|
|
Abbreviated Name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
|
Official Name: Puerto Rico
|
|
Official Script Name: Puerto Rico
|
Local Common Name: Puerto Rico
|
|
Former Name: Puerto Rico
|
Territory of: United States
|
|
|
Head of State: President George W. BUSH of the US
|
Government Type: commonwealth
|
Independence: none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
|
Constitution: ratified 1952 March 3 (approved by US Congress 1952 Jul
|
National Holiday: US Independence Day, 4 July
|
International Organization Participation: Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate)
|
Administrative Divisions: none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco
|
Dependent Areas: unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President
|
Legal System: based on Spanish civil code and adapted US state laws
|
Suffrage: 18 years
|
Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature
elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4%
Legislative Branch:
bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD 40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%, PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1
note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); Luis FORTUNO elected resident commissioner; results - percent of vote by party - PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)
|
Party Leaders: National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]
|
International Disputes: NA
|
Illicit Drugs: increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Location of Puerto Rico: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
|
|
Continent: North America
|
Land Area Total: 13,790 sq km
|
|
Region: Caribbean |
Land Area Land: 8,870 sq km
|
|
Capitol City: San Juan
|
Land Area Water: 4,921 sq km
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Latitude: 018 15 N
|
Border Boundary Land: 0 km
|
|
Longitude: 066 30 W
|
Border Boundary Coastline: 501 km
|
|
|
|
Arable Land: 3.69 %
|
Pastures: 0.00 %
|
|
Crops: 5.59 %
|
Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
|
|
|
|
Highest Elevation: 1,338 m
|
Location: Cerro de Punta
|
|
Lowest Elevation: 0 m
|
Location: Caribbean Sea
|
|
|
|
Largest City in Puerto Rico:
|
Largest City Population: 0
|
|
|
Threatened Species: 0
|
Environmental Issues: erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
|
Environmental Agreements: NA
|
Irrigated Land: 400
|
Bordering Countries: NA
|
Natural Resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
|
Geographical Terrain: mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
|
Comparative Area of Puerto Rico: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
|
Puerto Rico's Geography: important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
General Climate: tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
|
Natural Hazards: periodic droughts; hurricanes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Economic Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004-2005.
|
|
|
|
GDP: $73,270,000,000 USD
|
Currency: US dollar
|
|
GDP per Capita: $18,700 USD
|
Currency Code: USD
|
|
GDP Growth Rate: 2.50 %
|
|
|
|
Currency Exchange Rate History: the US dollar is used
|
|
|
|
GDP of Agriculture: 1.00 %
|
GDP of Industry: 45.00 %
|
|
GDP of Services: 54.00 % |
|
|
|
|
Inflation Rate: 6.50 % |
Population in Poverty: 0.00 %
|
|
Unemployment Rate: 12.00 %
|
Tourism: 0.00 visitors each year
|
|
|
|
Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.00 %
|
Budget Revenue in USD: $6,700,000,000 USD
|
|
Consumption by upper 10%: 0.00 %
|
Budget Expenditures in USD: $9,600,000,000 USD
|
|
|
|
Electricity Production: 23,030,000,000 kWh
|
Electricity Exports: 0 kWh
|
|
Electricity Consumption: 21,420,000,000 kWh
|
Electricity Imports: 0 kWh
|
Electricity Production by Source:
|
|
|
Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 99.22%
|
Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
|
|
Hydro Electricity Production: 0.78%
|
Other Electricity Production: 0.00%
|
|
|
|
Oil Production: 436 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
|
|
Oil Consumption: 218,000 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Consumption: 740,000,000 cu m
|
|
Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
|
|
Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Imports: 630,000,000 cu m
|
|
Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
|
Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
|
|
|
|
External Debt: $0 USD |
Received in economic aid: $0 USD
|
|
|
Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
|
|
|
Agricultural Products: sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens
|
Primary Industries: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
|
Industrial Growth Rate: 0.00 %
|
|
|
Import Amount in USD: $29,100,000,000 USD - chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
|
Import Partners: US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4%
|
Export Amount in USD: $46,900,000,000 USD - chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
|
Export Partners: US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4%
|
|
|
GINI Index: 0.00%
|
Labor Force Number of People: 1,300,000
|
Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Radio Broadcast Stations: 127 |
Number of People with Radios: 2,700,000 |
|
Television Broadcast Stations: 32 |
Number of People with Televisions: 1,021,000 |
|
Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 1,111,900 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 2,682,000 |
|
|
|
Internet Service Providers: 404 |
Internet Users: 1,000,000 |
|
|
|
Internet Country Code: .pr |
Newspapers: 0 |
|
Two Letter Country Code: RQ |
Weights and Measures: |
|
Phone Country Code: 1-787 |
Electricity Voltage: 120 Volts |
|
|
Telephone Systems: general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service
international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Highways: 24,363 km |
Railways: 96 km
|
|
Gas And Oil Pipelines: 0 km |
Waterways: 0 km
|
|
Airports: 17 |
Heliports: 0
|
|
|
|
Motor Vehicles: 0 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 0 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
|
|
Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.00 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
|
|
Merchant Marines: total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 77,177 GRT/50,138 DWT
by type: roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 3 (US 3)
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1)
|
Ports and Harbors: Las Mareas, Mayaguez, San Juan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Population: 3,927,188 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 12.77 births per 1,000 people |
|
Population Density: 0.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 7.65 deaths per 1,000 people |
|
Population Growth: 0.40% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 1.75 babies born per woman |
|
|
|
Population Male 0-14: 428,610 |
Population Female 0-14: 409,484 |
|
Population Male 15-64: 1,239,255 |
Population Female 15-64: 1,345,519 |
|
Population Male 65+: 218,045 |
Population Female 65+: 286,275 |
|
|
|
Population 0-14: 21.30% |
Literacy Rate: 94.10% |
|
Population 15-64: 65.80% |
Literacy rate of Males: 93.90% |
|
Population 65+: 12.80% |
Literacy rate of Females: 94.40% |
|
|
|
Population that is Male: 52.50
% |
Population that is Female: 47.50% |
|
Life expectancy at birth in years: 78.40 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 9.14 Babies die per 1,000 births |
|
Life expectancy at birth for Males: 74.46 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 82.54 years |
|
|
|
Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.00%
|
Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 7,397
|
|
|
Number of people who died of AIDS: 0 |
|
|
Disease Risk:
|
Diseases:
|
Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -1.14
|
Nationality: PUERTO RICAN
|
Ethnic Groups: white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%
|
|
|
Primary Language: Spanish
|
Other Languages: Spanish, English
|
|
|
Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
|
Other Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Branches: no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
|
Manpower Fit to Serve: NA years
|
Manpower Available: 0 People
|
Manpower Fit to Serve: 0 People
|
Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 0 People per year
|
Expenditures: $0 USD per year
|
Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 0.00
|
|
|
|
Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
|
|
|
|
|
Puerto Rico Spa and Resort Directory
|
Puerto Rico Home Exchanges and Home Swaps
|
Puerto Rico Vacation Rentals And Holiday Villas
|
