Puerto Rico's political status is that of a United States Commonwealth, an unincorporated, organized territory with a political status that "provides for self-government in respect of internal affairs and administration, subject to relevant portions of the Constitution and the laws of the United States". Its people are citizens of the United States. Puerto Rico has a republican form of government and is subject to United States jurisdiction and sovereignty.

 

 

 

External Links

 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Official Web site

Explore Puerto Rico

Latin Party - Country presentation

 

 

 

Island Details

 

After Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493, the island was colonized in 1508, and the capital city of San Juan founded in 1521.

As a result of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico was relinquished to the USA by Spain in 1898. Today it is a self governing (very independent-minded) territory of the USA, and enjoys much autonomy.

The narrow coastal plain rises into green (low) hills and mountains central and south. A few small rivers and lakes dot the landscape.

The climate is usually hot and humid, with some lower temperatures found in the higher elevations. Like most Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico is subject to an occasional hurricane warning (May - October).

The island is a mecca for Caribbean cruise ships and tourists from around the world. Old San Juan is the most popular destination.

Compared to other islands in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico has a high standard of living with a vibrant industrialized economy.

Quick Facts and Figures

Official Name Puerto Rico, Commonwealth territory

of the USA, claimed 1898

Population 3,949,000 (July 2003 est.)

Capital City San Juan (434,000)

Languages Spanish, English

Official Currency US Dollar

Religions Catholic, Protestant

Land Area 9,100 sq km

Latitude/Longitude 18º 15N, 66º 30W

Highest Point Cerro del Punta at 4,389 ft. (1,338m)

 

 

 

Important points to consider

 

P.R. has the highest GDP / capita of the Caribbean at $19,000 per person, but still significantly below the $33.000 of Mississippi (the poorest state in the US).  This is both the main argument in PR for why they should become a state, and also the biggest argument in the US about why PR should not. 

 

PR has a very segregated society, but unlike other poor Caribbean states, the lower classes of PR can migrate to the USA (and the do in mass numbers).  But what happens in PR is that Dominicans move in resulting in migration from Dominican Republic to PR.  These new migrants to PR bring low skills, but don't have the ability to migrate further to the US.  As a result of this, and other factory's, PR has a major underground economy (off the books). 

 

Biggest Industry:  Pharma.  85% of all drugs consumed in the US are produced in Puerto Rico. This is because of a tax loophole.

 

Biggest Bank:  Banco Popular (same as seen in Miami).  Money comes mainly from big pharma.  The result is that there is lots of money in P.R. but not allot of jobs.  Most of the pharma companies are highly automated, and so money is highly concentrated. 

 

US Citizens?  Yes, but don't have the right to vote (unless they happen to also be residents of US).  So, if they are living in the US, then they can vote, but if they are living in PR, then they cant.  Strange rule!  The justification for this is that Puerto Ricans don't pay federal taxes. So, because of the way its set up, PR has representation without taxation (the opposite of what the US went to war with England over "no taxation without representation".)

 

50% of all people on some form of welfare.  But the poor in PR are still better off than most other people in Caribbean. 

 

 

 

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
Demonym		Puerto Rican
Government		Republican three-branch government
-	Head of State	George W. Bush
-	Federal Legislative Branch	United States Congress The statutory laws of the United States not locally inapplicable, ... shall have the same force and effect in Puerto Rico as in the United States.[2] Puerto Rico sends a non-voting Resident Commissioner who serves a four-year term.
-	Head of Government	Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Sovereignty		United States sovereignty.[1]
Area
-	Total	9,104 km² (169th) 3,514 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1.6
Population
-	July 2007 estimate	3,994,259 (127th in the world; 27th in U.S.)
-	2000 census	3,913,054
-	Density	438/km² (21st in the world; 3rd in U.S.) 1,115/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$86.5 billion (N/A)
-	Per capita	$22,058 (N/A)
Currency		United States dollar and Puerto Rican dollar (USD)
Time zone		AST (UTC-4)
-	Summer (DST)	No DST (UTC-4)
Internet TLD		.pr
Calling code		+1  spec. +1-787 and +1-939

 

 

 

 

 

Economy

Main article: Economy of Puerto Rico

In the early 1900s the greatest contributor to Puerto Rico's economy was agriculture, its main crop being sugar. In the late 1940s a series of projects codenamed Operation Bootstrap encouraged, using tax exemptions, the establishment of factories. Thus manufacturing replaced agriculture as the main industry. Puerto Rico is currently classified as a high income country by the World Bank. 

 

The economic conditions in Puerto Rico have improved dramatically since the Great Depression due to external investment in capital-intensive industry such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and technology. 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.

 

Tourism is an important component of the Puerto Rican economy supplying an approximate $1.8 billion. In 1999, an estimated 5 million tourists visited the island, most from the United States. Nearly a third of these are cruise ship passengers. A steady increase in hotel registrations, which has been observed since 1998, and the construction of new hotels and new tourism projects, such as the Puerto Rico Convention Center, are indicators of the current strength of the tourism industry.

See also: Tourism in Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans had a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimate of $19,300 for 2006, $19,300 which demonstrates a growth over the $14,412 level measured in the 2002 Current Population Survey by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.  In that survey, Puerto Ricans had a 48.2% poverty rate. By comparison, the poorest State of the Union, Mississippi, had a median level of $21,587, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, 2002 to 2004 Annual Social and Economic Supplements. Since 1952, the gap between Puerto Rico's per capita income and U.S. national levels has essentially remained unchanged — one third the U.S. national average and roughly half that of the poorest state. 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. 

See also: List of countries by Human Development Index

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. 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. On May 10, 2006, the budget crisis was resolved with a new tax reform agreement, with plans to apply a temporary 1% tax input so that all government employees could return to work. On November 15, 2006 a 5.5% sales tax was implemented. Municipalities have the option of applying a municipal sales tax of 1.5% bringing the total sales tax to 7%.

See also: 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis

 

Travel Info

 

Local stuff:

The local rythm is Salsa.

A popular local beer is "Medalla" (pronounced med-al-ya). Its a light been, best served very cold.

Mofongo is a nice loal dish made with mashed plantains, and eaten with meat.

 

Some of the more popular highlight of Puerto Rico are: Condado (Puerto Rico) - El Castillo San Cristobal (San Juan, Puerto Rico); Bacardi Rum Factory (Bahia de San Juan, Puerto Rico); Old San Juan (San Juan, Puerto Rico) ; El Moro Fortress (San Juan, Puerto Rico); and El Yunque Rainforest (Puerto Rico)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old San Juan

 

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico is where most of the cruise ships come to port. The architecture of the city is very interesting, and there are rows of streets with interesting looking restaurants and shops. Old San Juan seems to be a nice place to have fun in the evenings. A quick walk to the top of the hill gives you a nice view back over the bay, and also a view of the old fort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isla Verde & Pinones

A nice escape from the city is to take a taxi (skip the bus if you are in a hurry), and go to Pinones (just past Isla Verde). Its takes about 15 minutes by car to get there from Old San Juan (traveling east, along the waterfront). If you take a bus, it is only 75 cents, but will take over an hour. The view from the car is very nice looking back at the city. Crossing the bridge, and entering Pinones, you will really feel as if you have left San Juan behind. Gone are the skyscrapers and fancy hotels, and come are the small homes and little restaurants. There is a nice bay with sail boats, and on the other side, you will find a beach protected by coral. Locals go there to swim in the natural pools. There is even a restaurant built by an ex-professional football player (from America) with a big wooden deck overlooking the bay. Ask the taxi driver to come and get you at a set time, and ride back to San Juan happy that you made the journey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ponce

Named after Ponce de Leon, this city used to be the most important city in Puerto Rico, and maybe even in the Caribbean as well. While the north of the country is considered more industrial and with a faster pace of life, the south is more agricultural and has a slower, more laid back attitudude. The waters of south Puerto Rico are on the Caribbean (not the Atlantic). The drive from San Juan should take you 1 hour, or a little more, depending on traffic. The view coming down the Caribbean side is supposed to be really nice.