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.

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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 3.95%
Permanent crops: 5.52%
Other: 90.53% (2001)

Irrigated land: 400 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 3,897,960 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.49% (2004 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%

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/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 7.77 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.46 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male/female
Total population: 0.93 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.37 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 9.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.98 deaths/1000 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.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: 7,397 (1997)
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 94.1%
Male: 93.7%
Female: 94.4% (2002)

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

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 Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005)
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 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
Election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4%

Legislative branch
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]

International organization participation: ICFTU Interpol (subbureau) IOC UPU WCL WFTU WToO (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 initially influenced by the US flag but similar to the Cuban flag with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

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.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.6% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 45%
Services: 54% (2002 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: 12% (2002)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

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

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.5% (2003 est.)

Exports: $46.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Commodities: chemicals electronics apparel canned tuna rum beverage concentrates medical equipment
Partners: US 90.3% UK 1.6% Netherlands 1.4% Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.)

Imports: $29.1 billion c.i.f. (2001)
Commodities: chemicals machinery and equipment clothing food fish petroleum products
Partners: US 55.0% Ireland 23.7% Japan 5.4% (2002 est.)

Debt external: NA

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Electricity
Production: 20.9 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 19.44 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 630 million m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 630 million m³ (2001 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1,329,500 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 1,211,111 (2001)

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: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Internet
Country code: .pr
Users: 600,000 (2002)

Airports: 30 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 17
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2 437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)

Railways
Total: 96 km
Narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

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 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: none