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Capital San Juan
18°29? N 66°8? W Largest city San Juan Official language(s) Spanish, English None (U.S. Commonwealth) Area
• Total
• Water (%)
3,916,632 (Ranked)
3,957,988
434/km˛ (Ranked(a))
{{{population_densitymi˛}}}/mi˛ 2004 estimate
$78.8 billion (Ranked(a))
$20,231 (Ranked(a)) (not ranked) – Currency Time zone
• Summer (DST) AST (UTC-4)
No DST (UTC-4) Internet TLD .pr Calling code +1-787 and +1-939 |
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Puerto Rico Information
 Map of Puerto Rico
Map of Puerto Rico
Main article: Geography of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico consists of the main island of Puerto Rico and various smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo, and Caja de Muertos. Of the latter five, only Culebra and Vieques are inhabited year-round. Mona is uninhabited through large parts of the year except for employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources.
The mainland measures some 170 San Juan, is located on the main island's north coast.
Puerto Rico has nine lakes (none of them natural) and more than 50 rivers. Most of these rivers are born in the "Cordillera Central." The rivers in the northern region of the island are bigger and with higher flow capacity than those of the south region. The south is thus drier and hotter than the north region.
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Main article: Politics of Puerto Rico
The government of Puerto Rico is based on the Republican system composed of 3 branches: the Executive branch headed by the Governor, the Legislative branch consisting of a bicameral Legislative Assembly (a Senate and a House of Representatives) and the Judicial branch. The legal system is based on a mix of the Civil Law and the Common Law systems. The governor as well as legislators are elected by popular vote every four years. Members of the Judicial branch are appointed by the governor and approved by the senate. Puerto Rico is divided into 78 municipalities, each of which elect a mayor and a municipal legislature.
In 1950, the US Congress afforded Puerto Ricans the right to organize a constitutional convention, contingent on the results of a referendum, where the electorate would determine if they wished to organize their own government pursuant to a constitution of their own choosing. Puerto Ricans expressed their support for this measure in a 1951 referendum, which gave voters a yes-or-no choice for the commonwealth status, defined as a ‘permanent association with a federal union’. A second referendum was held to approve the constitution, which was adopted in 1952. Prior to approving the new constitution, the Constitutional Convention specified the name by which the body politic would be known. The convention on February 4 of 1952 approved resolution 22 which chose in English the word “Commonwealth”, meaning a “politically organized community” or “State”, which is simultaneously connected by a compact or treaty to another political system. Unable to translate the word into Spanish, the convention adopted a translation inspired by the Irish Free State called “Estado Libre Asociado” (ELA) to represent the compact between the people of Puerto Rico and the United States, which is literally translated into english as “Associated Free State”.
Under the 1952 constitution, Puerto Rico is a United States Constitution, so that the United States citizens of Puerto Rico are not subject to the Revenue Clause of the United States Constitution. Further, island residents pay social security taxes and other federal taxes. Also, they have limited access to several key federal programs. As statutory U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans are subject to military service and most federal laws.
For the past fifty years, a single issue has dominated Puerto Rican politics: its political status vis-ŕ-vis the United States. A Commonwealth associated to the US since 1952, Puerto Rico today is torn by profound ideological rifts, as represented by its political parties, which stand for the current relationship or the two distinct future political scenarios: the status quo, statehood, and independence. The Popular Democratic Party (PPD) seeks to maintain or improve the current status, the New Progressive Party (PNP) seeks to fully incorporate Puerto Rico as a U.S. state, and the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) seeks national independence.
In 1967, the Legislative Assembly tested political interests of the Puerto Rican people by passing a plebiscite Act that allowed a vote on the status of Puerto Rico. This constituted the first plebiscite by the Legislature for a choice on three status options. Puerto Rican leaders had lobbied for such an opportunity repeatedly, in 1898, 1912, 1914, 1919, 1923, 1929, 1932, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1948, 1956, and 1960. Following the plebiscite, efforts in the 1970s to enact legislation to address the status issue died in Congressional committees. In a 1993 plebiscite, in which Congress played a more substantial role, the commonwealth status option on PR’s status received 48% of the vote, with 46% voting for statehood, 4% for independence, and a voter turnout of 73% of the voting population.
Subsequently, a 1998 plebiscite presented a choice among statehood and three other status formula defined by the pro-statehood legislative majority: commonwealth status, independence, and a form of free association under a treaty with the United States. Provision was also made for a fifth choice: "none of the above," the rejection of all such status options. In the plebiscite, the commonwealth status was depicted, as subject to the plenary powers of Congress under the territorial clause, a depiction shared by Bill Clinton, the president at the time, as well as his predecessor, with a revocable US citizenship. The pro-commonwealth party, unwilling to favor commonwealth status if subject to the plenary powers of Congress and entailing a type of statutory American citizenship revocable at the will of Congress, campaigned for the fifth choice, which obtained 50.3% of the vote, as compared to 46.5% for statehood, 2.5% for independence, 0.3% for the type of free association presented in the ballot, and a 0.1% percent for commonwealth as defined by the legislature. The winning choice was thus "none of the above."
Because past processes for self-determination in Puerto Rico have not had Congressional support, the political parties in power have manipulated ballot options to favor the alternative of their predilection. The other political parties tend to resist and voice their concerns over the legitimacy of the process.Ultimately, every vote fails as either non-binding upon United States Congress or because viable and appropriate status options have been excluded from the ballot.
Puerto Ricans living on the island are not counted among the Hispanics residing in the U.S.; in fact, they are not included in the U.S. population count at all, although all Puerto Ricans are statutory U.S. citizens. Puerto Rico also is not included in the Current Population Surveys that the Census Bureau conducts to update its decennial census.
On United States for $100,000,000,000, based on what he deemed as "damages suffered by the country" as a consequence of the status given to Puerto Rico in 1952 as a self-governing commonwealth of the United States. He also said to a local newspaper that he thinks Puerto Rico should become a sovereign state (in Spanish). His comments were made after the Presidential Task Force Report, composed of high-level officials from major federal departments appointed by President George W. Bush,suggested that a Federally sanctioned plebiscite provided by Congress should take place in Puerto Rico during 2006 to decide the island's political future.
Puerto Rico's Political Status and International Law
Although Puerto Rico is, politically speaking, an unincorporated territory of the United States classified as a Commonwealth, Puerto Ricans and people from other nations refer to Puerto Rico as a país, the Spanish word for country. This is a very common and accepted international status given to all dependent territories, also called dependent "states" by the United Nations. The United Nations has intervened in the past to evaluate the legitimacy of Puerto Rico's political status, to ensure that the island's government structure complies with the standards of self-government that constitute the basic tenets of the United Nations Charter, its covenants, and its principles of international law.
On November 27, 1953, shortly after establishment of the Commonwealth, the General Assembly of the UN approved Resolution 748, removing PR’s classification as a non-self-governing territory under article 73(e) of the Charter of the United Nations. The resolution garnered a favorable vote of fewer than 40% of the General Assembly, with over 60% abstaining or voting against it (20 to 16, with 18 abstentions). This resolution has not been revoked by the UN even though the political status is still debated in many international forums.
For a territory to be deemed self-governing, the United Nations require:
"(a) Legislative representation. Representation without discrimination in the central legislative organs, on the same basis as other inhabitants and regions [within the governing nation].
(b) Participation of the population. Effective participation of population in the government of the territory
(1) Is there an adequate and appropriate electoral and representation system?
(2) Is this electoral system conducted without direct or indirect interference from a foreign government?
(c) Citizenship. Citizenship without discrimination on the same basis as other inhabitants
(d) Government officials. Eligibility of officials from the territory for all public offices of the central authority, by appointment or election, on the same basis as those from other parts of the country".
The General Assembly did not apply its list of criteria to Puerto Rico for determining whether or not self-governing status had been achieved. In fact, in a United States under the territorial clause, that the establishment of local self-government with the consent of the people can be unilaterally revoked by Congress, and that Congress can also withdraw at any time the American citizenship now enjoyed by the residents of Puerto Rico as long as it achieves a legitimate Federal purpose, in a manner reasonably related to that purpose.
Most people advocate that the status of Commonwealth has been, and continues to be, a temporary solution. According to a United States since 1952[8][9]. It also stated a compromise to challenge the task force report and validate the current status in all international forums including the United Nations. Also rejects any colonial or territorial status as a status option and vows to keep working for the enhanced commonwealth status that was approved by the PPD in 1998 which included:
(a) Sovereignty
(b) An association based on respect and dignity between both nations
(c) Common citizenship
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Main article: Economy of Puerto Rico
In the early 1900's the greatest contributor to Puerto Rico's economy was agriculture, its main crop being sugar. In the late 1940's a series of projects called Operation Bootstrap encouraged, using tax exemptions, the establishment of factories. Thus manufacturing replaced agriculture as the main industry.
The economic conditions in Puerto Rico have improved dramatically since the Great Depression due to external investment in capital-intensive industry such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and technology. Once the beneficiary of special tax treatment from the U.S. government, today local industries must compete with those in more economically depressed parts of the world where wages are not subject to U.S. minimum wage legislation. In recent years, some U.S. and foreign owned factories have moved to lower wage countries in Latin America and Asia. Puerto Rico is subject to U.S. trade laws and restrictions.
Tourism is an important component of the Puerto Rican economy supplying an approximate $1.8 billion. In 1999 an estimated 5 million tourists visited the island, most from the United States. Nearly a third of these are cruise ship passengers. An increase in hotel registrations, which has been observed since 1998, and the construction of new hotels and the Puerto Rico Convention Center are indicators of the current strength of the tourism industry.
Puerto Ricans had a per capita GDP estimate of $17,700 for 2004 [11] , which demonstrates a growth over the $14,412 level measured in the 2002 Current Population Survey by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund [12]. In that survey, Puerto Ricans have a 48.2% poverty rate. By comparison, the poorest State of the Union, Mississippi, had a median level of $21,587, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, 2002 to 2004 Annual Social and Economic Supplements [13]. Since 1952, the gap between Puerto Rico's per capita income and US national levels has essentially remained unchanged---one third the US national average and roughly half that of the poorest state.
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Main article: Culture of Puerto Rico
The official national symbols of Puerto Rico are:
Bird - Reinita mora (Spindalis portoricensis)
Flower - Flor de Maga or Puerto Rican hibiscus (Thespesia grandiflora or Maga grandiflora)
Tree - Ceiba or Kapok (ceiba pentandra).
The unofficial national animal is the Coquí (Eleutherodactylus coqui).
Puerto Rico has its own representatives in beauty pageants including Miss World and Miss Universe. Puerto Rican beauty queens have won the Miss Universe pageant 4 times (1970, 1985, 1993, 2001), and the Miss World pageant once (1975). The island's contestant was second-runner up in the 2005 Miss World pageant, and currently has the title of Miss World Caribbean.
Education
Main article: Education in Puerto Rico
Education in Puerto Rico is divided into four levels. These are elementary, intermediate, high school and the university level. Students can attend either a Pontificial Catholic University, and the University of the Sacred Heart.
As of 2002, the literacy rate of the population was 94.1%. By gender, the literacy rate is 93.9% for males and 94.4% for females.
Sports
 Juan Evangelista Venegas, winner of the first Puerto Rican Olympic medal.
Juan Evangelista Venegas, winner of the first Puerto Rican Olympic medal.
Main article: Sports in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has an Olympic team in the Central American Games, and the Caribbean World Series. Puerto Rican athletes have won 6 medals (1 silver, 5 bronze) in Olympic competition, the first one in 1948 by boxer Juan Evangelista Venegas.
Although boxing, basketball, and baseball are popular, traditionally baseball has been the most popular sport. Puerto Rico has its own professional baseball leagues, though San Juan hosted the Montreal Expos for several series in 2002 and 2003 before they moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals. Puerto Rico has participated in the World Cup of Baseball winning 1 gold (1951), 4 silver and 4 bronze medals.
August 8, 2004 became a landmark date for Puerto Rico's national olympic team when the basketball team of Puerto Rico defeated the US basketball team nicknamed San Juan in March 2006.
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