Puerto Rico

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

commonwealth associated with the USIndependence none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Puerto Rico as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 85 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSan Juan
Position18 15 N, 66 30 W
Area9,104 sq km
LocationCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the
1996

Every edition of Puerto Rico

Populationas each edition published it
3.82 million July 1996 est. · 3.29m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.18% 1996 est. · 0.13% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 33.3 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
75.38 years 1996 est. · 73.84 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.94 children per woman 1996 est. · 2.2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
12.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 17 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$7,800 1995 est. · $6,200 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3.3% 1995 est. · 2.2% in 1993

Geography

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the | North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

15 fields

Land useshare of 9,104 sq km

arable land 8%permanent crops 9%meadows and pastures 41%forest and woodland 20%other 22%irrigated 390 sq km (1989 est.)
Area
9,104sq km
land area: 8,959 sq kmcomparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Coastline
501km
land boundaries: 0 kmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 66 30 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

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
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Cerro de Punta 1,338 m

Natural resources

some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore oil

Environment

current issues:
the recent drought has caused water levels in reservoirs to drop and prompted water rationing for more than one-half of the population
natural hazards:
periodic droughts
international agreements:
NA

Geographic 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

15 fields
Population
3,819,023
(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 0.18% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth
15.56Death
7.46Net migration
-6.35

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years75.38
71.13 · 79.89
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy89%
90% · 88%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
25% (male 484,038; female 461,175)
15-64 years:
65% (male 1,201,841; female 1,279,707)
65 years and over:
10% (male 174,274; female 217,988) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.8 male(s)/female
all ages:
0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.94 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective:
Puerto Rican

Religions

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%

Languages

Spanish, English

Government

Commonwealth associated with the US; President (of the US) William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Governor Pedro ROSSELLO (since 2 January 1993) was elected for a four-year term by direct suffrage

22 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

50%
Pedro ROSSELLO (PNP) 50%Victoria MUNOZ (PPD) 46%Fernando MARTIN (PIP) 4%

Legislature, 29 seatsone dot, one seat

PNP 20PPD 8PIP 1

Legislature, 53 seatsone dot, one seat

PNP 36PPD 16PIP 1

Name of country

conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form:
Puerto Rico

Type of government

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

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 (of the US) William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
head of government:
  • Governor Pedro ROSSELLO (since 2 January 1993) was elected for a four-year term by direct suffrage;
  • election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996);
  • results - Pedro ROSSELLO (PNP) 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 5 November 1996);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (29 total) PNP 20, PPD 8, PIP 1

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) PNP 36, PPD 16, PIP 1

US House of Representatives

  • elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (1 total) PNP 1 (Carlos Romero BARCELO);
  • note - Puerto Rico elects one representative to the US House of Representatives

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court, justices appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate;
  • Superior Courts, justices appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate;
  • Municipal Courts, justices appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate

Political parties and leaders

  • National Republican Party of Puerto Rico, Luis FERRE;
  • Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Hector ACEVEDO;
  • New Progressive Party (PNP), Pedro ROSSELLO;
  • Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP) has been disbanded (1994);
  • Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS Martinez;
  • Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown

Other political or pressure groups

  • 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

International organization participation

Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WToO (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

Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic | economies in the Caribbean region.

20 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$7,800
(1995 est.)
Real growth rate
3.3%
(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 5% (1994 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$5.1 billionExpenditures
$5.1 billion
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)

Electricity

Electricity production
15.6 billionElectricity consumption per capita
3,819 (1993)

Economic 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 3.9 million tourists in 1993.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $29.7 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture:
NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
NA%

Labor force

1.2 million (1993); by occupation: government 22%, manufacturing 17%, trade 20%, construction 6%, communications and transportation 5%, other 30% (1993)

Industries

pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments, tourism

Agriculture

sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; cattle, chickens

Exports

$21.8 billion (1994)

commodities:
pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments
partners:
US 86.2% (1993)

Imports

$16.7 billion (1994)

commodities:
chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
partners:
US 69.2% (1993)

Currency

1 US dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 23 in all

3
over 3 047 m
3
1 524 to 2 437 m
8
914 to 1 523 m
2
7
under 914 m
PavedUnpaved

Railways

total:
96 km
narrow gauge:
96 km 1.000-m gauge, rural, narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger service

Highways

total:
NA km
paved:
13,762 km (1982 est.)
unpaved:
NA km

Ports

Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan

Communications

Paramilitary National Guard, Police Force

8 fields
Fixed lines
1,166,231
(1992 est.)

Telephone system

modern system, integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability

domestic:
digital telephone system with about 1 million lines (1990 est.); cellular telephone service
international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Radio broadcast stations

AM 50, FM 63, shortwave 0

Radios

2.565 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

9 note: cable television available with US programs (1990 est.)

Televisions

952,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Branches

paramilitary National Guard, Police Force

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Central Intelligence Agency. “Puerto Rico.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/puerto-rico/1996.

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