Puerto Rico (commonwealth associated with the US)

§1. Puerto Rico Introduction

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.

§2. Puerto Rico Geography

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 kmē
  land: 8,959 kmē
  water: 145 kmē

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 kmē (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

§3. Puerto Rico People

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.)

§4. Puerto Rico Government

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

§5. Puerto Rico Economy

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

§6. Puerto Rico Communications

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)

§7. Puerto Rico Transportation

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.)

§8. Puerto Rico Military

Military branches:
  paramilitary National Guard, Police Force

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US

§9. Puerto Rico Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none
