| Background: |
Discovered by
Columbus in 1493, the island was ceded by Spain to the US in
1898 following the Spanish-American War. A popularly elected
governor has served since 1948. In plebiscites held in 1967
and 1993, voters chose to retain commonwealth status. |
| Location: |
Caribbean, island
between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east
of the Dominican Republic |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
18 15 N, 66 30 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America
and the Caribbean |
| Area: |
total:
9,104 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km
water: 145 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly less
than three times the size of Rhode Island |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical marine,
mild; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Terrain: |
mostly mountains,
with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to
sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m |
| Natural
resources: |
some copper and
nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
4%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 26%
forests and woodland: 16%
other: 49% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
390 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
periodic
droughts; hurricanes |
| Environment
- current issues: |
erosion;
occasional drought causing water shortages |
| Geography
- note: |
important
location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the
Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best
natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high
central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast
relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north |
| Population: |
3,937,316 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
23.73% (male 478,441; female 455,800)
15-64 years: 65.72% (male 1,242,245; female
1,345,421)
65 years and over: 10.55% (male 177,083; female
238,326) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.54% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
15.26
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.77 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-2.13 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
9.51 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 75.76 years
male: 71.28 years
female: 80.48 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.9 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican |
| Ethnic
groups: |
white (mostly
Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian
0.2%, mixed and other 10.9% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
85%, Protestant and other 15% |
| Languages: |
Spanish, English |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88% (1980 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico |
| Dependency
status: |
commonwealth
associated with the US |
| Government
type: |
commonwealth |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none
(commonwealth associated with the US); there are no
first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios,
singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada,
Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo,
Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy,
Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra,
Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida,
Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo,
Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos,
Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo,
Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo,
Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas,
Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San
Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta,
Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja,
Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco |
| Independence: |
none
(commonwealth associated with the US) |
| National
holiday: |
US Independence
Day, 4 July (1776) |
| Constitution: |
ratified 3 March
1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July
1952 |
| Legal
system: |
based on Spanish
civil code |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not
vote in US presidential elections |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since
20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20
January 2001)
head of government: Governor Sila M. CALDERON
(since NA January 2001)
cabinet: appointed by the governor with the
consent of the legislature
elections: US president and vice president
elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor
elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last
held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
election results: Sila M. CALDERON (PDP)
elected governor; percent of vote - 48.8% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral
Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (28 seats;
members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (54 seats;
members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000
(next to be held NA November 2004); House of Representatives
- last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November
2004)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - PNP 19, PPD 7, PIP 1, other 1;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PNP 30, PPD 20, PIP 1, other 3
note: Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting
representative to the US House of Representatives; elections
last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November
2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PPD 1 (Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA) |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court;
Superior Courts; Municipal Courts (justices for all these
courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the
Senate) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
National
Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican
Party of Puerto Rico [Luis FERRE]; New Progressive Party or
PNP [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD
[Hector Luis ACEVEDO]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or
PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Armed Forces for
National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular
Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the
Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution |
| International
organization participation: |
Caricom
(observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU,
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none
(commonwealth associated with the US) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none
(commonwealth associated with the US) |
| Flag
description: |
five equal
horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with
white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center;
design influenced by the US flag, but based on the Cuban
flag |
| Economy
- overview: |
Puerto Rico has
one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A
diverse industrial sector has surpassed agriculture as the
primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by
duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms
have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US
minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to
dairy production and other livestock products as the main
source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has
traditionally been an important source of income, with
estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999.
Prospects for 2001 are clouded by a probable slowing down in
both the construction and tourist sectors and by increasing
inflation, particularly in energy and food prices; estimated
growth will be 2%. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $39 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2.8% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $10,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
1%
industry: 45%
services: 54% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
5.7% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.3 million
(2000) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 3%,
industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
9.5% (2000) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY99/00) |
| Industries: |
pharmaceuticals,
electronics, apparel, food products; tourism |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
16.76 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
98.45%
hydro: 1.55%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
15.587 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
sugarcane,
coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products,
chickens |
| Exports: |
$38.5 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
pharmaceuticals,
electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage
concentrates, medical equipment |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 88% (2000) |
| Imports: |
$27 billion
(c.i.f., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
chemicals,
machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum
products |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 60% (2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is
used |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
1.322 million
(1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
169,265 (1996) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: modern system, integrated with that of
the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with
high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular
telephone service
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat; submarine cable to US |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 72, FM 17,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: |
2.7 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
18 (plus three
stations of the US Armed Forces Radio and Television
Service) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
1.021 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.pr |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
76 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
110,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge, rural,
narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger
service |
| Highways: |
total:
14,400 km
paved: 14,400 km
unpaved: 0 km (1996) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Guanica,
Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
19
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
9
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
paramilitary
National Guard, Police Force |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the US |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
