Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean Sea.
It was claimed as part of the Spanish Empire after Columbus visited it in 1493.
It became part of the United States after the Spanish American War.
Puerto Rico gained the right of internal self government in 1952.
It is now a United States Commonwealth, officially known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
The island of Puerto Rico has an area of 3,515 square miles (9,104 square kilometers).
Puerto Rico has plains near the coasts, and many beaches.
The interior of the island has hills and forests.
The climate is tropical.
3,982,000 people live in Puerto Rico, half of them in San Juan, the capital.
76% of the people are white and 7% are black. There are also Native Americans, Asians and people of mixed race.
Spanish and English are official languages.
85% of the population is Roman Catholic.
Puerto Ricans are sometimes referred to as "Boricua". This word comes from the Taino Indians, who inhabited Puerto Rico before Columbus arrived.
Tourism, agriculture and manufacturing form the bases of the economy.
There are large food manufacturing, chemical and electronics industries.
Puerto Rico has reserves of nickel and copper.
The official currency of Puerto Rico is the United States dollar.
| Puerto Rico Does It Better http://www.seepuertorico.com/ Website of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company of the Government of Puerto Rico | |
| 0 Reviews. Rating: Total Votes: 0 | |