PUERTO RICO
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
PUERTO RICO
(commonwealth associated with the US)
@Puerto Rico:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
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PUERTO RICO - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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SAN JUAN 449,000 18.29N, 66.08W 809- GMT-4
Bayam˘n 222,000 18.24N, 66.10W 809- GMT-4
Ponce 195,000 18.01N, 66.36W 809- GMT-4
Carolina 179,000 18.23N, 65.57W 809- GMT-4
Caguas 137,000 18.14N, 66.04W 809- GMT-4
Mayagez 103,000 18.13N, 67.09W 809- GMT-4
Arecibo 98,000 18.28N, 66.44W 809- GMT-4
Guaynabo 93,000 18.20N, 66.08W 809- GMT-4
Toa Baja 89,000 18.29N, 66.19W 809- GMT-4
Trujillo Alto 62,000 18.20N, 65.50W 809- GMT-4
Aguadilla 61,000 18.27N, 67.08W 809- GMT-4
Cayey 48,000 18.08N, 66.11W 809- GMT-4
Guayama 43,000 17.59N, 66.10W 809- GMT-4
Fajardo 37,000 18.19N, 65.40W 809- GMT-4
Cata¤o 35,000 18.26N, 66.08W 809- GMT-4
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Area:
total area: 9,104 sq km
land area: 8,959 sq km
comparative area: 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
International disputes: none
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
Natural resources: some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and
offshore crude oil
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 9%
meadows and pastures: 41%
forest and woodland: 20%
other: 22%
Irrigated land: 390 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: the recent drought has caused water levels in
reservoirs to drop and prompted water rationing for more than one-half
of the population
natural hazards: periodic droughts
international agreements: NA
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
@Puerto Rico:People
Population: 3,812,569 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25% (female 466,596; male 489,127)
15-64 years: 65% (female 1,274,765; male 1,195,785)
65 years and over: 10% (female 213,716; male 172,580) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.16% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.92 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.47 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.1 years
male: 70.78 years
female: 79.66 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions: Hispanic
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
Languages: Spanish, English
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88%
Labor force: 1.2 million (1993)
by occupation: government 22%, manufacturing 17%, trade 20%,
construction 6%, communications and transportation 5%, other 30%
(1993)
@Puerto Rico:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico
Digraph: RQ
Type: commonwealth associated with the US
Capital: San Juan
Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with the US);
note - there are 78 municipalities
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 William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January
1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
head of government: Governor Pedro ROSSELLO (since 2 January 1993);
election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996);
results - Pedro ROSSELLO (PNP) 50%, Victoria MUNOZ (PPD) 46%, Fernando
MARTIN (PIP) 4%
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly
Senate: elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5
November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (29
total) PNP 20, PPD 8, PIP 1
House of Representatives: elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to
be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (53 total) PNP 36, PPD 16, PIP 1
US House of Representatives: elections last held 3 November 1992 (next
to be held 5 November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (1 total) PNP 1 (Carlos Romero BARCELO); note - Puerto Rico
elects one representative to the US House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Superior Courts, Municipal Courts
Political parties and leaders: National Republican Party of Puerto
Rico, Luis FERRE; Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Hector ACEVEDO; New
Progressive Party (PNP), Pedro ROSSELLO; Puerto Rican Socialist Party
(PSP) has been disbanded (1994); Puerto Rican Independence Party
(PIP), Ruben BERRIOS Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP),
leader(s) unknown
Other political or pressure groups: Armed Forces for National
Liberation (FALN); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution; Boricua
Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Armed Forces of Popular
Resistance
Member of: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate),
ICFTU, INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WTO
(associate)
Diplomatic representation in US: none (commonwealth associated with
the US)
US diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the
US)
Flag: 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 based on the US
flag
Economy
Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the
Caribbean region. Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary
sector 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. Important
industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles,
petrochemicals, and processed foods. 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 for the island, with estimated arrivals of
nearly 3.9 million tourists in 1993.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $26.8 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.6% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $7,050 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1994)
Budget:
revenues: $5.1 billion
expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY94/95)
Exports: $21.8 billion (1994)
commodities: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum,
beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments
partners: US 86.2% (1993)
Imports: $16.7 billion (1994)
commodities: chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
partners: US 69.2% (1993)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1994 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 4.230,000 kW
production: 15.6 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 3,819 kWh (1993)
Industries: manufacturing accounts for 39.4% of GDP; manufacturing of
pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments;
tourism
Agriculture: accounts for only 3% of labor force and just over 1% of
GDP; crops - sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas;
livestock - cattle, chickens; imports a large share of food needs
(1993)
Economic aid: none
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Puerto Rico:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 96 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; note -
no passenger railroads
Highways:
total: 13,762 km
paved: 13,762 km (1982)
Ports: Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan
Merchant marine: none
Airports:
total: 31
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9
with paved runways under 914 m: 14
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Puerto Rico:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; modern system, integrated with that
of the US by high capacity submarine cable and INTELSAT with
high-speed data capability; digital telephone system with about 1
million lines; cellular telephone service (1990)
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 1 INTELSAT earth station and submarine cable
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 50, FM 63, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 9; note - cable television available with US
programs (1990)
televisions: NA
@Puerto Rico:Defense Forces
Branches: paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
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