Map of Puerto Rico | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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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: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 9,104 km²
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
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; hurricanes

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


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Population: 3,937,316 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 0.54% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Puerto Rican (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%

Languages: Spanish English

Religions: Roman Catholic 85% Protestant and other 15%

Demographic profile

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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.54% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 15.26 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 7.77 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male/female
Total population: 0.93 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 9.51 deaths/1000 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.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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


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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 (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

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 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
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]

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)
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 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%.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.8% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 45%
Services: 54% (1999 est.)

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

Industries: pharmaceuticals electronics apparel food products; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 1.3 million (2000)
By occupation agriculture: 3%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 77% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.5% (2000)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $6.7 billion
Expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.7% (2000 est.)

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: $38.5 billion (f.o.b. 2000)
Commodities: pharmaceuticals electronics apparel canned tuna rum beverage concentrates medical equipment
Partners: US 88% (2000)

Imports: $27 billion (c.i.f. 2000)
Commodities: chemicals machinery and equipment clothing food fish petroleum products
Partners: US 60% (2000)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used


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Electricity
Production: 16.76 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 98.45%
Production by source hydro: 1.55%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 15.587 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.322 million (1997)
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

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .pr
Service providers isps: 76 (2000)
Users: 110,000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 28 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 19
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 7 (2000 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: none

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs