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PUERTO
RICO
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico") is
a self-governing incorporated territory of the United States located in the
northeastern Caribbean.
Puerto Rico is the smallest of the Greater Antilles, located to the east of
the Dominican Republic and to the northwest of the Lesser Antilles. Puerto
Rico is composed of the main island, commonly called by Puerto Ricans as "La
Isla Grande" (the Big Island) and a number of smaller islands- Mona, Vieques
and Culebra, of which only Vieques and Isla de Culebra are inhabited. It is
divided in 78 municipalities.
History
The island of Puerto Rico was originally inhabited by a group of Arawak
Indians known as Taínos. The Tainos called the island "Borikén". The first
European contact was made by Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage to
the Antilles, on November 19, 1493. The island was originally named San Juan
Bautista, in honor of Saint John the Baptist. Spanish conquistador Juan
Ponce de Leon became the island's first governor of Puerto Rico to take
office, while Vicente Yáñez Pinzón was the first appointed governor, though
he never arrived at the island.
The island was soon colonized becoming the most important stronghold of the
Spanish empire in the Caribbean. Concerned about threats from its European
enemies, Spain began construction of massive defenses around the city of San
Juan. Fortresses such as La Fortaleza, Fort San Felipe del Morro and Fort
San Cristobal would be built. The French, Dutch and English made attempts to
capture Puerto Rico, but failed.
In 1809, Puerto Rico was recognized as an overseas providence of Spain with
the right to send representatives to the Spanish Court. Puerto Rico was
granted its first constitution, allowed to engage in free commerce and
continued to develop its own identity in aspects such as culture, music, and
arts.
Toward the end of the 19th century, poor economic and political situations
with Spain led to an attempted uprising in 1868 known as "El Grito de Lares".
The Puerto Rican goal was to achieve personal freedom, the abolition of
slavery, and full self-government. The uprising was easily and quickly
crushed. Leaders of this autonomist movement included Ramón Emeterio
Betances, considered the "father" of the Puerto Rican nation, and other
political figures such as Ramon Baldorioty de Castro, and towards the end of
the century, Luis Muñoz Rivera. In 1897, Muñoz Rivera persuaded a liberal
Spanish government to agree to an Autonomic Charter for the island. The
following year Puerto Rico's first autonomous government was organized with
Muñoz Rivera as its leader.
On July 25, 1898 at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico
was invaded by the United States of America with a landing at Guánica. Spain
was forced to cede Puerto Rico to the United States under the Treaty of
Paris (1898). The twentieth century began under the military regime of the
United States with officials including the governor appointed by the
President of the United States. In 1917, the United States Congress granted
Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship. Natural disasters and the Great Depression
impoverished the island. Political leaders demanded change, some like Pedro
Albizu Campos would lead a nationalist movement in favor of independence.
Later, Jesus T. Piñero became the first Puerto Rican governor designated by
United States. In 1948, the United States granted the right to
democratically elect the governor of Puerto Rico. Luis Muñoz Marín would
become the first elected governor of Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico adopted its own constitution in 1952 adopting a commonwealth
relation with the United States. During the 1950s Puerto Rico experienced a
rapid industrialization, with such projects as Operation Bootstrap which
aimed to change Puerto Rico's agricultural-based economy into an economy
based on other industries such as manufacturing. Present-day Puerto Rico has
become a major tourist destination and a leading pharmaceutical and
manufacturing center. Still, Puerto Rico continues to struggle to define its
political status. Several Puerto Ricans, who participated in armed struggle
against a perceived U.S. occupation, remain incarcerated at high security
prisons in the United States.
Geography
The archipelago of Puerto Rico consists of the main island of Puerto Rico
and various smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo and
Caja de Muertos. Of the small islands, only Vieques and Culebra are
inhabited. The mainland measures some 170 km by 60 km (105 miles by 35
miles). It has a population of approximately 4 million. The capital city,
San Juan, is located on the main island's north coast and has a population
of approximately 430,000.
Geology
Puerto Rico is composed of Cretaceous to Eocene volcanic and plutonic rocks,
which are overlain by younger Oligocene to recent carbonates and other
sedimentary rocks. Most of the caverns and karst topography on the island
occurs in the northern Oligocene to recent carbonates. The oldest rocks are
approximately 190 million years old (Jurassic) and are located at Sierra
Bermeja in the southwest part of the island. These rocks may represent part
of the oceanic crust and are believed to come from the Pacific Ocean realm.
Puerto Rico lies at the boundary between the Caribbean and North America
plates. This means that it is currently being deformed by the tectonic
stresses caused by the interaction of these plates. These stresses may cause
earthquakes and tsunamis. These seismic events, along with landslides,
represent some of the most dangerous geologic hazards in the island and in
the northeastern Caribbean.
Politics
The government is composed of 3 branches: the Executive branch headed by the
Governor, the Legislative branch consisting of a bicameral Legislative
Assembly (a Senate and a House of Representatives) and the Judicial branch.
The legal system is based on the Spanish civil code.
The Constitution of Puerto Rico was approved through refendum in 1952, and
ratified by the U.S. Congress, which maintains ultimate sovereignty over
Puerto Rico. Under this constitution, Puerto Rico is a territorial
commonwealth of the United States and is permitted a high degree of
autonomy. Although Puerto Rico does not have representation in the U.S.
Electoral College or U.S. Congress, it is permitted a non-voting Resident
Commissioner in the U.S. Congress. Although citizens of Puerto Rico are also
U.S. citizens, they do not pay federal income tax on income from island
sources. The Jones Act of 1917, which imposed citizenship on the island,
also allowed the U.S. armed forces to draft many Puerto Rican men into the
military service, although they are not allowed to vote in the U.S.
Presidential elections.
Economy
The economic conditions in Puerto Rico have improved dramatically since the
Great Depression due to external investment in capital-intensive industry
such as petrochemicals pharmaceuticals and technology. Once the beneficiary
of special tax treatment from the US government, today local industries must
compete with those in more economically depressed parts of the world where
wages are not subject to US minimum wage legislation. Many U.S. and foreign
owned factories have left to lower wage countries in Latin America and Asia,
while Puerto Rican owned businesses suffer from U.S. imposed trade laws
which place heavy restrictions on free trade with other countries.
Demographics
It has been stated that everyone in Puerto Rico originated somewhere else as
they are a people comprised primarily of Taino, African and European origin.
Recent genetic research revealed a surprising picture about Puerto Rican
heritage. On the one hand, Mitochondrial DNA analysis, showed that at least
61% of Puerto Ricans have American Indian maternal heritage. This means that
if you could trace back in time from daughter to mother, you would
eventually reach women who lived in Puerto Rico in precolumbian time. The
rest divides between 27% with female African ancestors and 12% with female
European ancestors. On the other hand, Y-chromosome analysis, which
corresponds to paternal heritage, showed over 70% of Puerto Ricans as having
male European ancestors, 20% have male African ancestry, but less then 10%
have male Native American ancestors.
Although pure Taíno numbers had dwindled due to disease, warfare and forced
intermarriages...many, if not most, of the marriages between Spanish men and
Amerindian women were actually quite amicable. The "Limpeza de Sangre"
documents on the island (used until the 1870's) sheds light on this reality.
This document was used by Mestizos and Amerindians to move up in their
society ---becoming "whiter" was the only way they could achieve that
status. Later, waves of Corsican, French and Portuguese Europeans, along
with a large amount of immigrants from the Canary Islands, arrived in Puerto
Rico. Many other persons from Spain's other colonies migrated into the
island as well. The mestizos (Taino mixed with European) were fully absorbed
into the general population. Other settlers have included Irish, Scottish,
Germans and many others who were granted lands from Spain during the Cedula
de Gracias of 1815. This decree allowed "white" European Catholics from
anywhere in Europe to settle in the island with a certain amount of free
land and enslaved persons.
A noticeable Asian minority also settled in Puerto Rico. Most Asians are
Chinese, who were brought as railroad workers. Another group of Chinese also
settled Puerto Rico, most of them are victims of World War II, Mao Zedong's
republic, and return of Hong Kong and Macau to mainland Chinese control.
They came from other places in mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.
Some Chinese from other Latin American countries also came to Puerto Rico.
Other Asians also settled in Puerto Rico — mostly ethnic Japanese and
Koreans.
According to the 2000 census, 95% of the population consider themselves of
Puerto Rican descent (regardless of race or skin color), making Puerto Rico
one of the most culturally unified societies in the world. Since its
colonization, Puerto Rico has become the permanent home of over 100,000
legal residents who immigrated from not only Spain, but from other Latino
Nations as well. Cubans, Dominicans, Colombians, Panamanians, Curacaoans,
and Santomeños can also be accounted for as settlers. The variety of
surnames which exist in Puerto Rico suggests widespread immigration to the
island from many regions.
The Roman Catholic religion is dominant and the religion followed by most
Puerto Ricans, although there is a notable Protestant presence imported from
the United States during the Spanish-American War and subsequent occupation.
Taino religious practices have to a degree been rediscovered/reinvented by
modern populations. Kongo belief, known as Mayombe or Palo, has been around
since the days of the arrival of enslaved Africans. Although, Santeria
(stronger and more organized in Cuba) is practiced by some, Mayombe is the
most widely practiced African-derived religion, but still a minor religion
in this country.
Puerto Rico currently has its own Olympic team, as well as international
representation in many other sporting events including the Summer Olympics,
the Pan-American Games, the Central American Games, and the Caribbean World
Series. Boxing and baseball are considered to be strong amongst Puerto
Ricans. This is probably traceable back to the days when the indigenous
population was known for its bateyes (ceremonial arenas in which a game was
played with a rubber ball).
Municipalities
As a commonwealth associated with the United States, Puerto Rico does not
have any first-order administrative divisions as defined by the U.S.
Government, but there are 78 municipalities (as well as Isla Mona, a
non-municipality that belongs to Puerto Rico) at the second order. Each
municipality has a mayor and a municipal legislature elected for a 4 year
term.
Adjuntas
Aguada
Aguadilla
Aguas Buenas
Aibonito
Añasco
Arecibo
Arroyo
Barceloneta
Barranquitas
Bayamón
Cabo Rojo
Caguas
Camuy
Canóvanas
Carolina
Cataño
Cayey
Ceiba
Ciales
Cidra
Coamo
Comerío
Corozal
Culebra
Dorado
Fajardo
Florida
Guánica
Guayama
Guayanilla
Guaynabo
Gurabo
Hatillo
Hormigueros
Humacao
Isabela
Jayuya
Juana Díaz
Juncos
Lajas
Lares
Las Marías
Las Piedras
Loíza
Luquillo
Manatí
Maricao
Maunabo
Mayagüez
Moca
Morovis
Naguabo
Naranjito
Orocovis
Patillas
Peñuelas
Ponce
Quebradillas
Rincón
Río Grande
Sabana Grande
Salinas
San Germán
San Juan
San Lorenzo
San Sebastián
Santa Isabel
Toa Alta
Toa Baja
Trujillo Alto
Utuado
Vega Alta
Vega Baja
Vieques
Villalba
Yabucoa
Yauco
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