(commonwealth associated with the US)
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
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
PEOPLE
Population: 3,294,997 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Puerto Rican(s); adjective--Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic
Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other
15%
Language: 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)
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
National holiday: Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Legal system: based on Spanish civil code
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:
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
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are 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;
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;
US House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be
held 3 November 1992); results--Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting
representative
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: 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
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 is slowly recovering from the disruptions
caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. The tourism infrastructure
was especially hard hit.
GNP: $20.1 billion, per capita $6,100; real growth rate 3.6% (FY89)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.3% (October 1989-90)
Unemployment rate: 14.9% (October 1990)
Budget: revenues $5.5 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion,
including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (FY89)
Exports: $16.4 billion (f.o.b., FY89);
commodities--pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna,
rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments;
partners--US 87%
Imports: $14.0 billion (c.i.f., FY89);
commodities--chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products;
partners--US 60%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 1.6% (FY89)
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
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 100 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane;
no passenger railroads
Highways: 13,762 km paved
Ports: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
Airports: 33 total; 23 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 900,000 or 99% of total households with TV;
1,067,787 telephones (1988); stations--50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV (1990)
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