Puerto Rico




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (commonwealth associated with the US)


                                 Geography


Location:
     Caribbean, in the North Caribbean Sea, between the Dominican Republic
     and the Virgin Islands group
Map references:
     Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area:
     9,104 sq km
land area:
     8,959 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     501 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
     24 nm
continental shelf:
     200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International 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; sandy beaches along most coastal
     areas
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%




Irrigated land:
     390 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     NA
international agreements:
     NA
Note:
     important location 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; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure
     land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal
     plain belt in north


                                  People


Population:
     3,801,977 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.13% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     16.5 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     7.93 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -7.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     73.95 years
male:
     70.42 years
female:
     77.65 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     2.04 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Puerto Rican(s)
adjective:
     Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions:
     Hispanic
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
Languages:
     Spanish (official), English widely understood
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population:
     89%




male:
     90%
female:
     88%
Labor force:
     1.17 million (1992)
by occupation:
     government 20%, manufacturing 14%, trade 17%, construction 5%,
     communications and transportation 5%, other 39% (1992)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     RQ
Type:
     commonwealth associated with the US
Capital:
     San Juan
Administrative divisions:
     none (commonwealth associated with the US), note: there are 78
     municipalities
Independence:
     none (commonwealth associated with the US)
National holiday:
     US Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution:
     ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective
     25 July 1952
Legal system:
     based on Spanish civil code
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but
     do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice
     President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
head of government:
     Governor Pedro ROSSELLO (since NA January 1993); election last held 3
     November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - Pedro
     ROSSELLO (PND) 50%, Victoria MUNOZ (PPD) 46%, Fernando MARTIN (PIP) 4%
Legislative branch:
     bicameral Legislative Assembly
Senate:
     elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November
     1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (27 total) seats
     by party NA




House of Representatives:
     elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November
     1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (53 total) seats
     by party NA
US House of Representatives:
     elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November
     1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) seats
     by party NA; note - Puerto Rico elects one representative to the US
     House of Representatives, Carlos Romero BARCELO
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
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
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 (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU,
     INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US:
     none (commonwealth associated with the US)
US 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. US minimum wage laws apply. Important 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, with estimated arrivals of nearly 3
     million tourists in 1989. Unemployment remains a severe problem at
     18%.
National product:
     GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $26.8 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     NA%




National product per capita:
     $7,100 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     2.1% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     18% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
     $5.8 billion
expenditures:
     $5.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $258 million (1989
     est.)
Exports:
     $21.8 billion (1992)
commodities:
     pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage
     concentrates, medical equipment, instruments
partners:
     US 88.3% (1990)
Imports:
     $14.8 billion (1992)
commodities:
     chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
partners:
     US 68.8% (1990)
External debt:
     $NA
Industrial production:
     growth rate 1.2% (FY92)
Electricity:
capacity:
     5,040,000 kW
production:
     16.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     4,260 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     manufacturing accounts for 55.5% of GDP: manufacturing of
     pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments;
     tourism
Agriculture:
     accounts for only 3% of labor force and less than 2% of GDP: crops -
     sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock - cattle,
     chickens; imports a large share of food needs (1992)
Economic aid:
     none
Currency:
     1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
     US currency is used
Fiscal year:
     1 July - 30 June


                              Communications




Railroads:
     96 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger
     railroads
Highways:
total:
     13,762 km
paved:
     13,762 km (1982)
Ports:
     San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
Airports:
total:
     30
usable:
     23
with permanent-surface runways:
     19
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     5
Telecommunications:
     modern system, integrated with that of the US by high capacity
     submarine cable and INTELSAT with high-speed data capability; digital
     telephone system with about 1 million lines; cellular telephone
     service; broadcast stations - 50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV; cable television
     available with US programs (1990)


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Note:
     defense is the responsibility of the US