Match 198 DB Rec# - 7,650 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Puerto Rico
Text :
Puerto Rico
Header
Affiliation:
(commonwealth associated with the US)
Geography
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
east of the Dominican Republic
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:
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:
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
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:
3,812,569 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
25% (female 466,596; male 489,127)
15-64 years:
65% (female 1,274,765; male 1,195,785)
65 years and over:
10% (female 213,716; male 172,580) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.16% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
15.92 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
7.47 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
-6.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
12.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
75.1 years
male:
70.78 years
female:
79.66 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.98 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective:
Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions:
Hispanic
Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
Languages:
Spanish, English
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population:
89%
male:
90%
female:
88%
Labor force:
1.2 million (1993)
by occupation:
government 22%, manufacturing 17%, trade 20%, construction 6%,
communications and transportation 5%, other 30% (1993)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form:
Puerto Rico
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 2 January 1993); 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, Superior Courts, Municipal Courts
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
Government
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
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 3.9 million tourists in 1993.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $26.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
2.6% (1994 est.)
National product per capita:
$7,050 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (1994)
Unemployment rate:
16% (1994)
Budget:
revenues:
$5.1 billion
expenditures:
$5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)
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)
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate 5% (1994 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
4.230,000 kW
production:
15.6 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
3,819 kWh (1993)
Industries:
manufacturing accounts for 39.4% of GDP; manufacturing of pharmaceuticals,
electronics, apparel, food products, instruments; tourism
Agriculture:
accounts for only 3% of labor force and just over 1% of GDP; crops -
sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock - cattle,
chickens; imports a large share of food needs (1993)
Economic aid:
none
Economy
Currency:
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
US currency is used
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Transportation
Railroads:
total:
96 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; note - no passenger
railroads
Highways:
13,762 km
paved:
13,762 km (1982)
Ports:
Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan
Merchant marine:
none
Airports:
total:
31
with paved runways over 3,047 m:
3
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
3
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
9
with paved runways under 914 m:
14
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
2
Communications
Telephone system:
NA telephones; 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 (1990)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT earth station and submarine cable
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 50, FM 63, shortwave 0
radios:
NA
Television:
broadcast stations:
9; note - cable television available with US programs (1990)
televisions:
NA
Defense Forces
Branches:
paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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