 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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Background: |
Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the
island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus'
second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial
rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and
African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a
result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US
citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since
1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal
self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters
chose to retain commonwealth status. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Population: |
3,897,960
(July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 22.4% (male 446,474; female 426,585)
15-64
years: 65.4% (male 1,220,721; female 1,329,936)
65 years
and over: 12.2% (male 205,933; female 268,311) (2004 est.)
|
|
Median age: |
total: 33.8 years
male: 32.1 years
female: 35.4 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
0.49% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
14.1
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
7.77
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
-1.46
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population:
0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
8.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 77.49 years
male: 73.49 years
female: 81.68 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.91 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
7,397 (1997)
|
|
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: 94.1%
male: 93.7%
female: 94.4% (2002) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
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); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25
July (1952) |
|
Constitution: |
ratified 3
March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July
1952 |
|
Legal system: |
based on
Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
|
|
Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal; island residents 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)
head of government: Governor Sila M. CALDERON
(since 2 January 2001)
cabinet: 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 2 November
2004)
election results: Sila M. CALDERON (PPD) elected
governor; percent of vote - 48.6% |
|
Legislative branch: |
bicameral
Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats -
currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members
are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be
held 2 November 2004); House of Representatives - last held 7
November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
election
results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
- PPD 20, PNP 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 30, PNP 20, PIP 1
note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident
commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative
in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the
House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress;
elections last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November
2004); results - percent of vote by party - PPD 49.3%; seats by
party - PPD 1; Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA elected resident commissioner
|
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme
Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two
sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (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 (pro-US
statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD
(pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence
Party or PIP (pro-independence) [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), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO
(associate), WToO (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 initially influenced
by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of
the bands and triangle reversed Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Economy - overview: |
Puerto Rico
has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A
diverse industrial sector has far 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. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the
slowdown in the US economy. |
|
GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $65.21 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
1.6% (2003
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $16,800 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 45%
services: 54% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
NA |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
6.5% (2003
est.) |
|
Labor force: |
1.3 million
(2000) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
12% (2002)
|
|
Budget: |
revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6
billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
sugarcane,
coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens
|
|
Industries: |
pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
|
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA |
|
Electricity - production: |
20.9 billion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
19.44 billion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
190,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2001
est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
630 million
cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2001
est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
630 million
cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Exports: |
$46.9 billion
f.o.b. (2001) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
chemicals,
electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates,
medical equipment |
|
Exports - partners: |
US 90.3%, UK
1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.) |
|
Imports: |
$29.1 billion
c.i.f. (2001) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
chemicals,
machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
|
|
Imports - partners: |
US 55.0%,
Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
NA |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Currency: |
US dollar
(USD) |
|
Currency code: |
USD |
|
Exchange rates: |
the US
dollar is used |
|
Fiscal year: |
1 July - 30
June Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Railways: |
total:
96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) |
|
Highways: |
total:
14,400 km
paved: 14,400 km
unpaved: 0 km (1999
est.) |
|
Ports and harbors: |
Aguadilla,
Arecibo, Fajardo, Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Mayaguez, Playa de
Ponce, San Juan |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 36,728 GRT/37,048 DWT
by type: container 1, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: United States 2
registered in other
countries: 5 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports: |
30 (2003
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to
2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m:
5 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 13
1,524 to 2, 437 m: 1
914 to
1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 10 (2003 est.)
|
|
Disputes - international: |
none
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Large portions of this information is from the US government open source publication "The World Factbook", other content copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. You may use this information without permission for educational or other non-profit purposes if you refer to us as the source, contact us if you want to use this commercially.
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