PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico

Official name:

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico).

Digraph: PR/QR

Type:

Commonwealth associated with the US. The island's inhabitants possess all the rights and obligations of United States citizens, except for the right to vote in presidential elections and the obligation to pay federal taxes.

Interesting Fact:

The term 'United States' when used in a geographical sense on official documents, acts and/or laws; includes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
The U.S. has twelve unincorporated territories, also known as possessions, and two commonwealths. The major possessions are American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virigin Islands. All of these have a non-voting representative in the US Congress. The major commonwealths are Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas. Commonwealths have their own constitutions and greater autonomy than possessions, and Guam is currently in the process of moving from the status of unincorporated territory to commonwealth. The residents of all of these places are full U.S. citizens, with the exception of those on American Samoa who are U.S.nationals, but not citizens.

Total Area: 3,515 sq mi (9,104 sq km or 100 by 35 miles).
Land Area: 8,959 sq km

Borders: Puerto Rico is under the U.S. customs jurisdiction . Borders are open between P.R. and the U.S., allowing for free movement of people and merchandise.

Capital: San Juan (founded in 1508, by Juan Ponce de León).

Major Cities: Ponce , Caguas, Mayagüez, Bayamón, Carolina, Arecibo, Guaynabo, Cayey, Aguadilla, and Fajardo.

Most Popular City Destinations: San Juan, Ponce, Mayagüez, Bayamón, Fajardo, San Germán Cayey, and Caguas.

Native language: Spanish and English are the official languages.
English is spoken for about 1/4 of the population-with limited capabilities . English is required in all federal matters. English is spoken in all major tourist areas (%80 Spanish, %20 other).

Interesting Facts:

Language has been a central issue in Puerto Rican education and culture since 1898. Until 1930 U.S. authorities insisted upon making English the language of instruction in the schools, the intent being to produce English-speaking persons of American culture in the same way this is done in the United States public schools. But strong resistance to the policy finally brought a change to the use of Spanish as the basic school language, English becoming a second language studied by all. In 1991 the Puerto Rican legislature, following the lead of the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party and the governor, Rafael Hernández Colon, endorsed a bill that made Spanish the island's official language, thus reversing a 1902 law that gave both Spanish and English official recognition . In 1993 the pro-statehood governor, Pedro J. Rossello, signed legislation restoring equal status to Spanish and English.

Note:

Puerto Rico is a territory (Commonwealth) of the United States of America and they have common citizenship, currency and defense. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, residents of Puerto Rico pay no federal income tax (but neither can they vote in presidential elections). Over 2 million Puerto Ricans live in the United States, primarily in the northeast.

Interesting Fact:

Puerto Ricans consider themselves American but are fiercely proud of their island and their culture.

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 Cuban flag.

Population: 3,828,506 (July 1997 est.)

Interesting Fact:

Puerto Rico's population density of 1,100 people per square miles is among the world's highest - only Bangladesh, The Maldives, Barbados, Taiwan, South Korea and the city-states of Hong Kong and Singapore are more crowded.

People:

The 3.580 million people that inhabit the island of Puerto Rico make it one of the most densely populated islands in the world. There are about 1,000 people per square mile, a ratio higher than within any of the 50 states in the United States. It is estimated that some 2 million Puerto Ricans have migrated to the United States. Had these people remained in Puerto Rico, the island would be so densely populated that there would be virtually no room for people to live. Because of the massive migration to the mainland, more Puerto Ricans are said to live in New York City than in San Juan. In recent years, many Puerto Ricans have returned to their island home, in large part because of inadequate economic opportunity in the United States.

On the island, one-third of the population is concentrated in the San Juan/Carolina/Bayamón metropolitan area. When the United States acquired the island in 1898, most Puerto Ricans worked in agriculture, but today, most jobs are industrial and are situated in the metropolitan areas.

The people of Puerto Rico represent a cultural and racial mix. When the Spanish forced the Taíno people into slavery, the entire indigenous population was virtually decimated, except for a few Amerindians who escaped into the remote mountains. Eventually they inter-married with the poor Spanish farmers and became known as jíbaros. Because of industrialization and migration to the cities, few jíbaros remain.

Besides the slaves imported from Africa (Sudan, Kongo, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leona, and the Gold, Ivory, and Grain coasts), other ethnic groups brought to work on the plantations joined the island's racial mix. Fleeing Simón Bolívar's independence movements in South America, Spanish loyalists fled to Puerto Rico - a fiercely conservative Spanish colony during the early 1800s. French families also flocked here from both Louisiana and Haiti. As changing governments or violent revolutions depressed the economies of Scotland and Ireland, many farmers from those countries also journeyed to Puerto Rico in search of a better life.

During the mid-19th century, labor was needed to build roads. Initially , Chinese workers were imported for this task, followed by workers from such countries as Italy, France, Germany, and even Lebanon. American expatriates came to the island after 1898. Long after Spain had lost control of Puerto Rico, Spanish immigrants continued to arrive on the island. The most significant new immigrant population arrived in the 1960s, when thousands of Cubans fled from Fidel Castro's Communist state. The latest arrivals to Puerto Rico have come from the economically depressed Dominican Republic.

Education:

Education is a matter of high priority for Puerto Rico, it is evident in the island's overall literacy rate of 90 percent and its budget for education, approximately 40 percent. Education is obligatory between 6 to 17 years old. Primary school consists of six grades; the secondary levels is divided into 2 cycles of 3 years each.

The school system is administered by the Department of Education and has several levels of learning. The language used in the schools is Spanish, however, English is taught from kindergarten to high school as part of the school curriculum .

Puerto Rico has more than 50 institutions of higher education. Puerto Rico has achieved one of the highest college education rates in the world (6th) with 56% of its college-age students attending institutions of higher learning, according to World Bank data.

Religion:

The Constitution guarantees freedom for all faiths. The major religions are: Catholic (85%), Protestants (8%), non religious (2.3%), and others (3%). Some islanders ascribe to spiritualism (espiritismo), and others practice Santeria, an Afro-Caribbean belief system brought to Puerto Rico from Cuba. There is also a small Jewish community.

History:

Culture:

Puerto Rican culture is somewhat complex,  colorful. Culture is a series of visual manifestations and interactions with the environment that make a region and/or a group of people different from the rest of the world. Puerto Rico, without a doubt has several unique characteristics that distinguish their culture from any other.

Lets consider that the people of Puerto Rico represent a cultural and racial mix. During the early 18-century, the Spaniard in order to populate the country took Taino Indian woman as brides . Later on as labor was needed to maintain crops, and build roads. African slaves were initially imported, shortly followed by the importation of Chinese immigrants, then continued with the arrival of Italians, French, German, and even Lebanonize people. American expatriates came to the island after 1898. Long after Spain had lost control of Puerto Rico, Spanish immigrants continued to arrive on the island. The most significant new immigrant population arrived in the 1960s, when thousands of Cubans fled from Fidel Castro's Communist state. The latest arrivals to Puerto Rico have come from the economically depressed Dominican Republic. This historic intermingling has resulted in a contemporary Puerto Rico without racial problems.

Economy:

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 U.S. and by tax incentives , U.S. firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s (U.S. minimum wage laws apply). Recently the economy has suffered budget cuts from U.S.

The economy depends heavily on the tax incentives (known as Section 936) given to US mainland companies and on federal transfers. In 1993, President Clinton aimed to cut the Section 936 tax exemption for U.S. companies and introduced legislation to Congress to replace it with a more modest tax credit linked to wages paid by those companies in Puerto Rico rather than to profits. It is estimated that 100,000 Puerto Ricans are employed by companies operating under Section 936 (of which 23,000 are in pharmaceuticals) and another 200,000 are indirectly employed. On the other hand, the agreement between the USA, Canada and Mexico for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) also has implications for Puerto Rico because of competition for jobs and investment. Although wage levels are lower in Mexico, Section 936 gives companies in Puerto Rico an advantage in pharmaceuticals and hi-tec industries. In low-skill labour-intensive manufacturing, such as clothing and footwear, Mexico has the advantage. Puerto Rico currently employs 30,000 in the clothing industry.

Important industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemical, 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, with estimated arrivals of nearly 3.9 million tourists in 1993. The main government expenditures are on health, education, and welfare.

Industries:

Manufacturing accounts for 55.5% of GDP: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machinery, electronics, apparel , food products, instrument, textiles, clothing, and tourism.

Tourism:

Receipts from visitors: U.S.$1,826,100,000 (1995)

Expenditures by national abroad: U.S.$833,000,000 (1995)

Agriculture:

Accounts for only 3% of labor force and less than 1% of GDP - crops - sugar cane , coffee, milk, eggs, fruits (pineapples, plantains, bananas), vegetables; livestock - cattle, chickens, pork; imports a large share of food needs (1993).

Interesting Facts:

Migration has played a large role in social and economic changes since the 1950s. In the 1950s and 1960s, the government encouraged a massive migration of poor agricultural workers to the east coast of the US to help create a predominantly industrial economy. The number of Puerto Ricans is now about equal to the island's population.

Puerto Ricans are another immigrant group that has had a significant impact on the economy and culture of New York since World War II. Several hundred thousand reside in the state, mostly in New York City. After a heavy immigration of Puerto Ricans during the 1950s and early 60's, the growing economic strength of Puerto Rico led to a considerable reduction , with those entering the state being largely offset by those returning to Puerto Rico.

Some of the best-educated young people leave because of better opportunities and labor conditions on the mainland.

Statistics show that it has some of the most favorable economic conditions in the Caribbean and Latin American, but in comparison with the United States, Puerto Rico is still below that of the poorest state in the mainland, Mississippi.

Government:

Puerto Rico is a self-governing commonwealth in association with the United States. Puerto Rico has authority over its internal affairs. United States controls: interstate trade, foreign relations and commerce, customs administration, control of air, land and sea, immigration and emigration, nationality and citizenship, currency, maritime laws, military service, military bases, army navy and air force, declaration of war, constitutionality of laws, jurisdictions and legal procedures, treaties, radio and television--communications, agriculture, mining and minerals, highways, postal system; social security, and other areas generally controlled by the federal government in the United States. Puerto Rican institutions control internal affairs unless U.S. law is involved, as in matters of public health and pollution. The major differences between Puerto Rico and the 50 states are its local taxation system and exemption from Internal Revenue Code, its lack of voting representation in either house of the U.S. Congress, the ineligibility of Puerto Ricans to vote in presidential elections, and its lack of assignation of some revenues reserved for the states.

The Executive Power is exercised by the Governor, who leads a cabinet conformed by 15 ministers. The Governor is elected by statewide elections every four years. The secretary of state succeeds the governor should the latter resign, die, or be removed from office. The governor, with the consent of the legislature, appoints the heads of the commonwealth's executive departments. The Legislative Power resides in the Senate and in the Chamber of Representatives. The Senate consists of 27 members, 2 per electoral district, and 11 elected according to the different districts proportion of population. The Chamber of Representatives consists of 53 members, one per electoral district and 11 elected proportionally. Legislators are popularly elected to four-year terms. The bicameral legislature determines how to spends the island's tax revenue. Unless specifically stated, Puerto Rico is also subject to all laws and most regulations of the U.S. government, which sometimes cause jurisdictional problems. Most U.S. agencies are represented on the island.

The Judicial System is directed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is formed by 7 judges (a chief justice and six associate justices) named by the Governor. The structure of the Judicial System includes a Court of Appeals, Superior Court, a District Court(civil & criminal), and Municipal Court. There are 12 judicial districts

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico also has a district court comparable to those of the states of US. Each district court has at least one district judge and can have more than a score of district judges, as well as a clerk, a United States Attorney, a United States Marshall, one or more United States Magistrates, bankruptcy judges, probation officers, court reporters, and their staffs .

President: Bill Clinton

Vice President: Al Gore

Governor: Pedro Rosello

Government Form: Republican; executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Ruling Party: New Progressive Party (NPP).

Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by U.S. Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952.

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal.

Voter Participation: over 80% (1996 general elections)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June.

Legal system: Puerto Rican civil and commercial codes are fashioned after Spanish models; penal , procedural , and public (including constitutional) law are fashioned after U.S. models.