Statistical information Puerto Rico 1998Puerto%20Rico

Map of Puerto Rico | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Puerto Rico in the World
Puerto Rico in the World

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Puerto Rico - Introduction 1998
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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.


Puerto Rico - Geography 1998
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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 reference

Area
Land: 8,959 km²
Water: 145 km²
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
Extremes highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m

Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
Land use

Land use
Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 5%
Permanent pastures: 26%
Forests and woodland: 16%
Other: 49% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 390 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

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


Puerto Rico - People 1998
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Population: 3,857,070 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 0.68% (1998 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: Hispanic

Languages: Spanish, English

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

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 24% (male 483,268; female 461,632)
15-64 years: 65% (male 1,206,385; female 1,310,406)
65 years and over: 11% (male 171,889; female 223,490) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.68% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 16.7 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 8.08 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.83 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: occasional drought has caused water levels in reservoirs to drop and has prompted water rationing
International agreements party to: NA
International agreements signed but not ratified: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 12.09 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.2 years
Male: 69.58 years
Female: 79.11 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (1998 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 89%
Male: 90%
Female: 88% (1980 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Puerto Rico - Government 1998
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Country name
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Conventional short form: Puerto Rico

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

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
Chief of state: President of the US William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993): ead of
Government: Governor Pedro ROSSELLO (since 2 January 1993)
Cabinet: NA
Elections: governor of Puerto Rico elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000)
Election results: Pedro ROSSELLO reelected governor of Puerto Rico; percent of vote - NA

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 5 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000); House of Representatives_last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000)
Election results: Senate_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_PNP 19, PPD 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_PNP 37, PPD 16, PIP 1
Note: Puerto Rico elects one representative to the US House of Representatives; elections last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000); results - percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_PNP 1 (Carlos Romero BARCELO)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate; Superior Courts, justices appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate; Municipal Courts, justices appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
From the us: none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Flag descriptionflag of Puerto%20Rico: 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


Puerto Rico - Economy 1998
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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 for the island, with estimated arrivals of nearly 4 million tourists in 1993. The construction sector has been a key factor in recent economic growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $8,600 (1997 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: livestock products, chickens; sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas

Industries: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)

Labor force
Total: 1.3 million (1996)
By occupation government: 19%
By occupation manufacturing: 13%
By occupation trade: 17%
By occupation construction: 5%
By occupation other: 32%
By occupation unemployed: 14% (1996)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 13% (FY96/97 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $5.1 billion
Expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY94/95)

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: total value:$22.9 billion (f.o.b. 1996)
Commodoties: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
Partners: US 88% (1995 est.)

Imports: total value:$19.1 billion (c.i.f. 1996)
Commodoties: chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Partners: US 62% (1995 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: US currency is used


Puerto Rico - Energy 1998
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Electricity
Capacity: 4.465 million kW (1995)
Production: 17.34 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 4,548 kWh (1995)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Puerto Rico - Communication 1998
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Telephones: 1.315 million (1994 est.)

Telephone system: modern system, integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
Domestic: digital telephone system with about 1 million lines (1990 est.); cellular telephone service
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Puerto Rico - Military 1998
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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Puerto Rico - Transportation 1998
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 30 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 21
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 7 (1997 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 96 km
Narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge, rural, narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger service

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


Puerto Rico - Transnational issues 1998
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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


Economy Bookings


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