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

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

501 km

Maritime claims:

exclusive economic zone:  200 NM

territorial sea:  12 NM

Climate:

tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:

mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas

Elevation extremes:

lowest point:  Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point:  Cerro de Punta 1,338 m

Natural resources:

some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Land use:

arable land:  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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun:  Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)

adjective:  Puerto Rican

Ethnic groups:

white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%

Languages:

Spanish, English

Literacy:

definition:  age 15 and over can read and write

total population:  89%

male:  90%

female:  88% (1980 est.)

Country name:

conventional long form:  Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

conventional short form:  Puerto Rico

Dependency status:

commonwealth associated with the US

Government type:

commonwealth

Capital:

San Juan

Administrative divisions:

none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

Independence:

none (commonwealth associated with the US)

National holiday:

US Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

Constitution:

ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952

Legal system:

based on Spanish civil code

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)

Debt - external:

$NA

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Currency:

US dollar (USD)

Currency code:

USD

Exchange rates:

the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

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)

Waterways:

none

Ports and harbors:

Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan

Airports:

28 (2000 est.)

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