General Information of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898.
Country Name:
Conventional long form:
* Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (July 25, 1952)
* Conventional short form: Puerto Rico
Flag:
Capital:
San Juan
Population:
3,944,259 (July 2007 est.) - The great majority of which are U.S. Citizens. Today, island residents live in substantial middle-class circumstances, characterized by modern urban services and amenites. About 2.7 million Puerto Ricans also reside on the U.S. Mainland.
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 21% (male 422,635/female 403,887)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,247,314/female 1,352,139)
65 years and over: 13.1% (male 223,508/female 294,776) (2007 est.)
Median Age:
Total: 35.1 years
Male: 33.4 years
Female: 36.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.393% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
12.79 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
7.78 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years:
1.046 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.922 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.758 male(s)/female
total population: 0.923 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Total: 7.81 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 8.71 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 6.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Total population: 78.54 years
Male: 74.6 years
Female: 82.67 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.77 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
N/A
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
7,397 (1997)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
N/A
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%.
Literacy:
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1%
male: 93.9%
female: 94.4% (2002 est.)
Citizenship:
U.S. citizens
Languages:
Spanish & English are the official languages of Puerto Rico. English is a compulsory second language in schools and is widely used in business, industry, research, and education.
Location Map:
Caribbean area, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic. To view a more detailed map, go to our Puerto Rico general map.
Geographic Coordinates:
18 15 N, 66 30 W
Distance from U.S.:
1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) Southeast of Miami
Distance to U.S. Cities (by plane):
3 3/4 hours from Atlanta and New York; 2 1/2 hours from Miami; 4 hours from Boston; 4 3/4 hours from Chicago, Houston and Dallas; 8 hours from Los Angeles
Size:
100 by 35 miles (160 by 56 kilometers), roughly the size of the state of Connecticut.
total: 13,790 sq km
Land: 8,870 sq km
Water: 4,921 sq km
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
501 km
Maritime Claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Tropical. Average annual temperature is 82° F (28° C) with constant mild easterly trade winds. The U.S. Weather Bureau never recorded temperatures in San Juan below 64° F or higher than 97° F, 365 days a year, day or night.
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
Highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,339 m
Natural resources:
Some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil.
Land Use:
Arable land: 3.69%
Permanent crops: 5.59%
Other: 90.72% (2005)
Irrigated Land:
400 sq km (2003)
Natural Hazards:
Periodic droughts; hurricanes.
Environment - current issues:
Erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages.
Time Zone:
Atlantic Standard Time (AST). One hour later than U.S. Eastern Standard Time (EST) from October to April, and the same as Eastern Daylight Savings Time from April to October.
Government:
A democracy within the U.S. Constitutional system, Puerto Rico's government consists of Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches, with all elective positions tested by the ballot every four years. Legal protection is provided by the Constitutions of Puerto Rico and United States, with ultimate appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ruling Party:
Popular Democratic Party (PDP)
Currency:
U.S. Dollar.
Area Codes:
(787) / (939)
Mail:
U.S. Postal Service rates and services. All major courier/express delivery companies, such as Federal Express and UPS, serve Puerto Rico.
Passport Information:
Passports are not necessary for U.S. citizens. Foreign nationals should have valid passports and required visas.
Electricity:
Voltage is the same as U.S. mainland, 110-220 volts, 60 Hz.
Liquor Laws:
The legal drinking age is 18. Municipal ordinance forbids alcohol consumption on the streets of Old San Juan.
Driving:
Driving is on the right-hand side of the road. A valid continental U.S. driver's license legally can be used in Puerto Rico for up to three months.
History:
In 1993, Puerto Rico celebrated the 500th anniversary of its discovery by Colombus. Settled by explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, the Island was a Spanish possession for over four centuries. Puerto Rico came under United States sovereignty by the Treaty of Paris signed on December 10, 1898, terminating the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans have been US citizens since 1917. In July 1950, the US Congress enacted Public Law 600. It provided that existing laws which defined the political, economic, and fiscal relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States should remain in full force. It also authorized Puerto Rico to draft and approve its own Constitution, which took effect on July 25, 1952. Puerto Rico's relationship with the US is referred to as commonwealth status.
Political Trends:
For many years there have been two major views in Puerto Rico with respect to the Island's relationship with the United States, one favoring commonwealth status and the other favoring statehood. A small group supports independence for Puerto Rico. Voters supporting a continuing relationship for Puerto Rico with the United States Mainland have dominated Island elections over the years.
Part of the USA:
Puerto Rico is part of the U.S. There are no travel restrictions to other U.S. areas and no customs duties or quotas on shipments between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Mainland. Products manufactured in Puerto Rico are "Made in the USA". The people of Puerto Rico do not vote in national elections. They are represented in Congress by a Resident Commissioner who has a voice in the House of Representatives but no vote. Most federal taxes are not levied in Puerto Rico. No federal income tax is collected from island residents on ordinary income, except in cases of Federal employees.
Topography:
Varies from coastal flatlands to mountainous central highlands.
Education:
Compulsory universal education is enforced. Some 800,000 students are enrolled in public and private elementary and high schools; 160,000 students are enrolled in universities, colleges, and professional and technical schools. Of Island college students, 54% are 20-24 years of age, one of the highest world attendance rates in this age group.
Labor Force:
Of the 1.2 million in the Island's labor force, one million are employed and some 200,000 are seeking employment. Of the total work force, 75% has 12 or more years of schooling; one-third has completed or has had some college education.
Human Resources:
Heavy public and private investment in education and special training programs has created a world-class work force in Puerto Rico. U.S. Census figures show the Island has over 4,500 engineers, 7,700 engineering technicians, 1,200 computer programmers, 700 chemist and biochemists, 35,000 precision mechanics and repairers, and 30,000 technical production workers.
Productivity:
Puerto Rico has one of the world's highest productivity ratios. Value-added in Puerto Rico's factories amounts to $10.02 for every dollar of production worker wages, which is double the mainland U.S. average for manufacturing of $4.64, according to the U.S. Census of Business. Based on rates of growth data over time, a comparison of manufacturing productivity show the following ranking:
Japan
1
Puerto
Rico
2
United
Kingdom
3
United
States
4
Canada
5
Profitability:
The profit-to-sales ratio for Island manufacturing (34.8%) is about seven times higher than the comparable Mainland US ratio (4.8%). Puerto Rico's manufacturing profit-to-equity ratio (34.4%) is more than three time the mainland average (10.3%)
Export/Import Comparison:
In fiscal 1992, Puerto Rico's total trade reached $36.2 billion, a greater value of external trade than all other Caribbean Basin nations combined. It is also higher than any Western Hemisphere contry south of the U.S. except Brazil and Mexico. Island merchandise exports of $21.1 billion in fiscal 1992 exceeded imports of $15.2 billion for a creditable $5.9 billion positive trade balance.
Manufacturing Industries:
Manufacturing is the largest sector in the economy of Puert Rico in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In fiscal 1992, manufacturing generated $13.2 billion, or 39% of GDP.
Most of the Island's manufacturing output is shipped to the mainland United States, which is also the principal source of imports required by Island Industrialists. Prestigious corporations, many of them listed in the Fortune 500, currently operate large-scale production facilities in Puerto Rico.
Banking System:
Part of the U.S. banking system insured by the FDIC, Puerto Rico's commercial bank assets exceeded $23 billion as of December 1992. Currency is the U.S. dollar. Major US, European and local banks operate on the Island.
*Part of this information courtesy of PuertoRicans.com and CIA.gov .*