Puerto Rico, A U. S. Territory
Puerto Rico,
My heart’s devotion -
Let it sink back in the ocean.
Always the hurricanes blowing,
Always the population growing,
And the money owing.
And the sunlight streaming,
And the natives steaming. - Anita, in West Side Story
Let it sink back in the ocean.
Always the hurricanes blowing,
Always the population growing,
And the money owing.
And the sunlight streaming,
And the natives steaming. - Anita, in West Side Story
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Puerto Rico is a beautiful country that thrives from tourism and manufacturing. The country is home to vibrant people, who love families, parties and spending time outside. It is beautiful and temperate climate draws people to visit, and even move, to the country each year. Since it is a territory of the United Sates, much of the tourism comes from there because passports are not needed in order to travel.
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Puerto Rico is an island country that is located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea.
The name Puerto Rico (rich port) is derived from the abundant gold that the initial Spanish settlers found on the island.
The formal name of Puerto Rico is Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, which translates to mean Free Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico has a population of around 3,600,000 people.
The languages spoken in Puerto Rico are English and Spanish.
The currency of Puerto Rico is the U.S. Dollar.
The island of Puerto Rico is 3515 square miles.
When Puerto Rico became a Commonwealth in July 25, 1952, it was officially adopted as the national flag. The Puerto Rican flag consists of 5 alternate red and white stripes. On the left of the flag is a single white five-pointed star resting in a blue triangle.
Christianity is the dominant religion of Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is directly east of the Dominican Republic and west of the British and the United States Virgin Islands.
The country is comprised of one large island, where most of the inhabitants live and many smaller islands.
The country is home to 3.6 million people, while its capital city of San Juan is home to almost 400,000 people.
The primary languages are both Spanish and English. The country is one of few in the world that is officially bilingual.
Puerto Rico does not have an official religion and their constitution states that all citizens have freedom of religion.
The main religions that are practiced in the country are Catholicism and Protestantism.
The country’s flag is comprised of a blue triangle with a white star located on the left side, with red and white stripes filling the rest of the flag’s background.
The currency in Puerto Rico is United States dollar; however it is often referred to as the peso or dolar in the country.
The literacy rate of Puerto Rico is over 93%.The country’s total nominal GDP is $98.76 billion, which is the 98th highest in the world. Its per capita GDP is $26,588, which is the 35th highest in the world. This means that Puerto Ricans have a very high standard of living.
Puerto Ricans do not pay income tax.
Puerto Rico’s economy thrives from tourism, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and technology.
Puerto Rico’s main trading partner is the United States. They also trade heavily with the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom.
Puerto Rico is considered a territory of the United States. Its official name is the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1493, one year after he discovered the Americas. He named it San Juan Bautista, after John the Baptist.
The United States gained Puerto Rico as a territory after the Spanish-American War in 1898. The Treaty of Paris that was signed to end the war allotted the island country to the United States in 1917. This also meant that every citizen of Puerto Rico was granted U.S. citizenship.
Throughout the entire year, the temperatures in Puerto Rico vary between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Basketball, volleyball and boxing are the most popular sports in Puerto Rico.
In Puerto Rico, it is very well-mannered to kiss someone on the cheek when greeting them. During your conversation, it is also appropriate to stand very close to the person to whom you are talking.
Many of the words that Puerto Ricans use for building names, household items and food products originated from the Taino Indians, who lived in Puerto Rico before Christopher Columbus found the island.
Spanglish (a combination of Spanish and English) can be heard in parts of the country, due to the influence of the English language.
Bomba, plena and trova music can be heard throughout the streets of Puerto Rico during parties and celebrations. Merengue music and dancing is also popular.
In the late 1960's, many Cubans fled to Puerto Rico in order to leave Fidel Castro’s ruling. Because of this, many traditional Cubans meals and traditions have been incorporated into Puerto Rico’s culture.
Women from Puerto Rico have won the Miss Universe pageant five times. Even though the country is a territory of the United States, it competes as an individual.
Puerto Rico also competes in the Olympics and it has won a total of six medals.
Puerto Rico is not home to any indigenous large wildlife. Most of its animals are exotic birds and fish.
The largest telescope in the world is located in Puerto Rico. It is used to look at asteroids in space, and determine if any ever get too close to the Earth’s surface.
Barceloneta in Puerto Rico has the biggest pharmaceutical complex in the world (14 industries). The water in Barceloneta is so pure that it requires very little treatment for use in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products.
Barceloneta is also known as the “pineapple city” because of its extensive pineapple plantations.
A river system gives existence to a beautiful and magnificent cave system known as Camuy. The system features more than 10 miles of caverns, 220 caves, and 17 entrances. Experts believe that there are still another 800 caves that are yet to be explored. Today, a 268-acre park is built around the cave system, providing tourists insights into some of the best natural locations in the country.
The Bacardi rum factory (est. 1862) in San Juan, is the largest rum distillery in the world (producing more 100,000 liters of rum every 24 hours). The distillery contributes nearly 85% of Bacardi’s total rum production, and the remainder is produced from the distilleries in Mexico and India.
Like the U.S., drivers drive on the right side of the road. However, signs are written in Spanish and gas is measured in liters instead of gallons.
Puerto Rico has several blue sand beaches. The sand appears blue because it has a high amount of iron.
Puerto Rico is home to El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest that is part of the U.S. Forest System.
San Juan's Plaza Las Americas is one of the most profitable malls per square foot in the world.
The streets of Puerto Rico are paved with blue cobblestones.
