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PUERTO RICO
The
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 Area:
9,104 sq. km; 3,514 sq miles
Population:
3.9 million
Capital City: San Juan (433,733)
People: The Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico is predominantly composed of individuals representing
three main socio-ethnic groups, African,
Indigenous American, and European. According to the 2000 census
, the main racial categories identified with by native Puerto
Ricans were as follows : 80.5% White, 8% Black, and 0.4%
Indigenous American. Puerto Rico’s culture is an amalgamation of
various cultural influences ranging from West African to the
cultural institutions imposed on the island during its period of
Spanish administration.
Languages: Spanish, English
Religion(s): Roman Catholic,
Evangelical Protestant, Judaism, Islam, other
Basic Economic Facts:
Currency: US Dollar
GDP: US$ 72 Billion (2005)
GDP per capita: US$ 18,500 (2005)
Annual Growth: 2.5% (2005)
Inflation: 5.2% (1999)
Major Industries:
Tourism,
pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned
tuna,
rum,
beverage concentrates, and medical equipment. Puerto Rico’s
economy, which at one time was focused primarily on agriculture,
has since developed a vibrant and significant industrial sector.
Puerto Rico has maintained duty-free access to US markets since
the 1950’s and is also subject to US minimum wage laws. Also,
given the island’s climate, tourism has traditionally been a
significant source of income with 5 million tourists visiting in
2004 alone.
Major Trading Partners:
United
States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Ireland, Japan and The
Dominican Republic.
Major Political Parties:
National
Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of
Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP
(pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or
PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican
Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS
Martinez] Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group
also known as Los Macheteros)
Government: unincorporated,
organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy
relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the
jurisdiction of the Office of the President.
Legislature: bicameral
Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats -
currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms).
Head of State: President George W.
Bush
Head of Government: Governor Anibal
Acevedo Vila
Membership of International
groupings/organizations: Interpol (subbureau), IOC,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate).
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