:Puerto Rico Geography

Total area:
    9,104 km2
Land area:
    8,959 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    501 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
    mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to
    sea on west coast
Natural resources:
    some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore crude oil
Land use:
    arable land 8%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 41%; forest and
    woodland 20%; other 22%
Environment:
    many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered;
    south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Note:
    important location between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands
    group 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

:Puerto Rico People

Population:
    3,776,654 (July 1992), growth rate 1.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    17 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    70 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Puerto Rican(s); adjective - Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions:
    almost entirely Hispanic
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
Languages:
    Spanish (official); English is widely understood
Literacy:
    89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    1,068,000; government 28%, manufacturing 15%, trade 14%, agriculture 3%,
    other 40% (1990)
Organized labor:
    115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the General Confederation of
    Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983)

:Puerto Rico Government

Long-form name:
    Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Type:
    commonwealth associated with the US
Capital:
    San Juan
Administrative divisions:
    none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Independence:
    none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Constitution:
    ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25
    July 1952
Legal system:
    based on Spanish civil code
National holiday:
    Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Executive branch:
    US president, US vice president, governor
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a
    lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE
    (since 20 January 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Governor Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (since 2 January 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    National Republican Party of Puerto Rico, Freddy VALENTIN; Popular
    Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon; New Progressive Party (PNP),
    Carlos ROMERO Barcelo; Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan MARI Bras
    and Carlos GALLISA; Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS
    Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown; Puerto
    Rican Renewal Party (PRP, breakaway group from PNP), leader (vacant); Puerto
    Rico Democratic Party, Richard MACHADO
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18; citizens of Puerto Rico are also US citizens, but do
    not vote in US presidential elections
Elections:
  Governor:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar CORRADA Del Rio (PNP) 45.8%,
    Ruben BERRIOS Martinez (PIP) 5.5%
  Senate:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1
  US House of Representatives:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) seats by party NA; note -
    Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of
    Representatives, Jaime B. FUSTER
  House of Representatives:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2

:Puerto Rico Government

Other political or pressure groups:
    all have engaged in terrorist activities - Armed Forces for National
    Liberation (FALN), Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution, Boricua
    Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros), Armed Forces of Popular
    Resistance
Member of:
    CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WFTU, WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation:
    none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Flag:
    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

:Puerto Rico Economy

Overview:
    Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region.
    Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary sector 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.
    Important new industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles,
    petrochemicals, and processed foods. 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. The economy has largely recovered from the
    disruptions caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. The tourism
    infrastructure has been especially hard hit.
GNP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $21.6 billion, per capita $6,600; real growth
    rate 2.2% (FY90)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    1.3% (October 1990-91)
Unemployment rate:
    15.5% (October 1991)
Budget:
    revenues $5.8 billion; expenditures $5.8 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $258 million (FY89)
Exports:
    NA
  commodities:
    pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage
    concentrates, medical equipment, instruments
  partners:
    US 87% (FY90)
Imports:
    NA
  commodities:
    chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
  partners:
    US 68% (FY90)
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate 3.8% (FY90)
Electricity:
    4,149,000 kW capacity; 14,844 million kWh produced, 4,510 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products,
    instruments; tourism
Agriculture:
    accounts for 3% of labor force; crops - sugarcane, coffee, pineapples,
    plantains, bananas; livestock - cattle, chickens; imports a large share of
    food needs
Economic aid:
    none
Currency:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Puerto Rico Communications

Railroads:
    96 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger
    railroads
Highways:
    13,762 km paved (1982)
Ports:
    San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
Airports:
    30 total; 24 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    900,000 or 99% of total households have TV; 1,067,787 telephones (1988);
    broadcast stations - 50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV (1990)

:Puerto Rico Defense Forces

Branches:
    paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 830,133; NA fit for military service
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US