CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Puerto Rico


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!| Background:
 * Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose to retain commonwealth status.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 145 sq km land: 8,959 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 5.52% other: 90.53% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
 * 18 15 N, 66 30 W
 * Central America and the Caribbean
 * total: 9,104 sq km
 * slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
 * 0 km
 * 501 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
 * 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
 * some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
 * arable land: 3.95%
 * 400 sq km (1998 est.)
 * periodic droughts; hurricanes
 * erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
 * 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
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 65.4% (male 1,220,721; female 1,329,936) 65 years and over: 12.2% (male 205,933; female 268,311) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 32.1 years female: 35.4 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 73.49 years female: 81.68 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Puerto Rican !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 94.1% male: 93.7% female: 94.4% (2002)
 * 3,897,960 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 22.4% (male 446,474; female 426,585)
 * total: 33.8 years
 * 0.49% (2004 est.)
 * 14.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 7.77 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -1.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
 * total: 8.37 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 77.49 years
 * 1.91 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * NA
 * 7,397 (1997)
 * NA
 * noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
 * white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%
 * Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
 * Spanish, English
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Puerto Rico !| Dependency status: !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4% elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature !| Legislative branch: elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004) note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - percent of vote by party - PPD 49.3%; seats by party - PPD 1; Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA elected resident commissioner election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 20, PNP 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 30, PNP 20, PIP 1 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: !| Diplomatic representation from the US: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * commonwealth associated with the US
 * commonwealth
 * San Juan
 * none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco
 * none (commonwealth associated with the US)
 * US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
 * ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
 * based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
 * 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
 * chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)
 * 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)
 * Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)
 * National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Luis 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]
 * Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution
 * ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate)
 * none (commonwealth associated with the US)
 * none (commonwealth associated with the US)
 * 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 initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 45% services: 54% (2002 est.) !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus 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. 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, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy.
 * purchasing power parity - $65.21 billion (2003 est.)
 * 1.6% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 1%
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 6.5% (2003 est.)
 * 1.3 million (2000)
 * agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.)
 * 12% (2002)
 * revenues: $6.7 billion
 * sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens
 * pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
 * NA
 * 20.9 billion kWh (2001)
 * 19.44 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 190,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 630 million cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 630 million cu m (2001 est.)
 * $46.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)
 * chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
 * US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.)
 * $29.1 billion c.i.f. (2001)
 * chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
 * US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.)
 * NA
 * NA (2001)
 * US dollar (USD)
 * USD
 * the US dollar is used
 * 1 July - 30 June
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 1,329,500 (2002)
 * 1,211,111 (2001)
 * general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
 * AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)
 * 2.7 million (1997)
 * 6 (19 relay stations) (2004)
 * 1.021 million (1997)
 * .pr
 * 76 (2000)
 * 600,000 (2002)
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!| Railways: narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) !| Highways: paved: 14,400 km unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.) !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: foreign-owned: United States 2 registered in other countries: 5 (2004 est.) by type: container 1, roll on/roll off 1 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2, 437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
 * total: 96 km
 * total: 14,400 km
 * Aguadilla, Arecibo, Fajardo, Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Mayaguez, Playa de Ponce, San Juan
 * total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 36,728 GRT/37,048 DWT
 * 30 (2003 est.)
 * total: 17
 * total: 13
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!| Military branches: !| Military - note:
 * no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
 * defense is the responsibility of the US
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