Map of Puerto Rico | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


Location: in the North Atlantic Ocean, between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands group

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 9,104 km²
Land: 8,959 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 501 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

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

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 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


top of page


Population: 3,797,082 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.13% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Puerto Rican(s)
Adjective: Puerto Rican

Ethnic groups: Hispanic

Languages: Spanish (official), English widely understood

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.13% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 16.93 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 7.88 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.75 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Current issues 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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.84 years
Male: 70.25 years
Female: 77.61 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Total population: 89%
Male: 90%
Female: 88%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Conventional short form: Puerto Rico

Government type: commonwealth associated with the US

Capital: San Juan

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch: US president, US vice president, governor

Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In 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 based on the US flag

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


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 million tourists in 1989.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.2% (FY90)

Real gdp per capita: $6,200 (1991)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for only 3% of labor force and less than 2% of GDP: crops - sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock - cattle, chickens; imports a large share of food needs (1992)

Industries: manufacturing accounts for 55.5 % of GDP: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 1.2% (FY92)

Labor force: 1.17 million (1992)
By occupation government: 20%
By occupation manufacturing: 14%
By occupation trade: 17%
By occupation construction: 5%
By occupation communicationsandtransportation: 5%
By occupation other: 39% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 17% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $5.8 billion; expenditures $5.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $258 million (FY89)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: 20.4 billion (1990)
Commodoties: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments
Partners: US 87.8% (1990)

Imports: 16.2 billion (1990)
Commodoties: chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Partners: US 66.6% (1990)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


top of page


Electricity
Production: 5,040,000 kW capacity; 16,100 million kWh produced, 4,260 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 30
Usable: 23
With permanentsurface runways: 19
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 3
With runways 1220-2439 m: 5

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs