* note : I don't know you , but if I could, I would take the first flight for Puerto Rico right now ! Wat do you think ? ;o) *

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, (but they don't have the right to vote in presidential elections and the obligation to pay federal taxes.)

The major commonwealths of the US 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. (U.S. Commonwealths/Territories: American Samao, Baker Island, Howland Island, Guam, Jarvis Island, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wake Island).

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

Land Area: 8,959 sq km

Water Area: water: 145 sq km

Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic. (about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida). Latitude 18.5° - Longitude 66.9°.

Geographic Coordinates: 18 15 N, 66 30 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean.

Limits:
To the west by Haití and the Dominican Republic (La Hispañola), separated by the Mona Canal, to the east by the Virgin Islands, to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Caribbean Sea.

Puerto Rico is is not far away from the deepest submarine depression in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The Caribbean's greatest known depth is Cayman Trench (Bartlett Deep) between Cuba and Jamaica, at approximately 25,216 feet (7,686 meters) below sea level.

Coastline: 501 km. (nothing to say, it's paradise )

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).

Administrative Divisions: 78 municipalities. Other territories include: Mona, Monito, Desecheo, and Caja de Muertos.

Mona and Monito Islands (considered as the Galápagos Islands of the Caribbean Sea) are located between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. No other reef and offshore island habitat within U.S. jurisdiction possesses such ecological uniqueness, invaluable habitat, and biological diversity within such a reduced surface area. For these reasons, Mona and Monito Islands have been recognized as a Natural Reserve, by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico The islands are inhabited by endangered marine turtles, seabirds and occasional migratory marine mammals.

Political Division: 8 senatorial districts, 40 representative districts, 78 municipalities.

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.

Time: Atlantic Standard (AST), which is four hours earlier (-4) than Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

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).

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. There was strong resistance against the establishment of English as first language, that's why Spanishbecame the frist language, English became the second language ant it's studied by all.

National Holiday: November 19 (The Discovery of Puerto Rico date). July 4 (The Independence of the United States date). Puerto Rican Holidays.

Hymn (Anthem): "La Borinqueña"
The national hymn reflects the character of the people very accurately. The air, "La Borinqueña", recalls the island's Indian past. It was originally a dance measure. Now in a slower tone, and the orchestration of Ramón Collado, the Puerto Rican ahthenm has a gracious, melancholic tone, agreeably free of the bombast that often characterizes national anthem.

Bird: Stripe-headed tanager (spyndalis zena) ("reina mora")

Flower: Puerto Rican hibiscus (montezuma speciossisima) ("flor de maga")

Tree: Silk-cotton tree (ceiba pentandra) ("ceiba")

Symbol:
While the coqui - a tiny frog found everywhere in the island - is only an "unofficial national symbol", its image figures prominently in Puerto Rican culture and heritage.

Nationality: Puerto Rican.

Puerto Rico is a territory (Commonwealth) of the United States of America and people 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.

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: 3,887,652 (1999 est.)

Population Density: 1,124 density per square miles (1999 est) is among the world's hightest. The population is 3.8 million, although about another 2 million Puerto Ricans live in the USA.

Total Population Growth: 44,400

Population Projection: 3,945,000 (for 2000); 4,438,000 (for 2010).

Population : doubles every 77 years

Total Urban Population: 2,664,000

Migration:
2.7 million Puerto Ricans reside in the U.S., of which approximately one half are second and third generation, having been born in the mainland ( according to the 1990 Census of Population and Housing )

Major causes of death : (1993)

heart and cardiovascular disease , cancers , diabetes , cerebrovascular disease , pneumonia and flu

Age Scale (1998) :

under 15 (24%)

15-64 years: 65%

65 years and over 11%

Sex Ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Family Average Size: 3.5 people

Ethnic Composition: white 80%; black 20% (1980).

People : Puerto Rico is 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 US. Some 2 million Puerto Ricans are estimated to have migrated to the US. if they had 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.

One-third of the population is concentrated in the San Juan/Carolina/Bayamón metropolitan area because most jobs are industrial and are situated in the metropolitan areas.

There is a big mix of people in Puerto Rico : there are Chineses, Frech people , Germans, Italians because of immigration and workers demand. But the mostsignificant 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:
One of the highests priorities for Puerto Rico. 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 term in public schools starts in August through mid-December and January through late May.

The Department of Education administers the school system .
Used language in schools : Spanish, however, English is taught from kindergarten to high school as part of the school curriculum (there are some private schools provides English programs where all classes are conducted in English except for the Spanish class )

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. Major religions are: Catholic (85%), Protestants (8%), non religious (2.3%), and others (3%).

Resources:

• 1990 Census of Population and Housing - Summary Population and Housing Characteristics
• Bureau of the Census
• Porto [Puerto] Rico, 1920 Map from Putnam's Handy Volume Atlas of the World, with an Index of Cities and Towns giving the Complete 1920 Census of the United States and lists of the Countries and Cities of the World, With Latest Population Figures and Useful Statistical Information. (1921)