Introduction
Background
Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher 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 not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood. Economic recession on the island has led to a net population loss since about 2005, as large numbers of residents moved to the US mainland. The trend has accelerated since 2010; in 2014, Puerto Rico experienced a net population loss to the mainland of 64,000, more than double the net loss of 26,000 in 2010. Hurricane Maria struck the island on 20 September 2017 causing catastrophic damage, including destruction of the electrical grid that had been crippled by Hurricane Irma just two weeks before. It was the worst storm to hit the island in eight decades, and damage is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. A referendum held in late 2020 showed a narrow preference for American statehood.
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Geography
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
Area - comparative
slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
501 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
mostly mountains with coastal plain in north; precipitous mountains to the sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Elevation
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 261 m
Natural resources
some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
Land use
agricultural land: 22% (2018 est.)
arable land: 6.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 5.6% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 63.2% (2018 est.)
other: 14.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
220 sq km (2012)
Population distribution
population clusters tend to be found along the coast, the largest of these is found in and around San Juan; an exception to this is a sizeable population located in the interior of the island immediately south of the capital around Caguas; most of the interior, particularly in the western half of the island, is dominated by the Cordillera Central mountains, where population density is low
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; hurricanes
Geography - 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 and Society
Nationality
noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican
Ethnic groups
White 75.8%, Black/African American 12.4%, other 8.5% (includes American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islander, and others), mixed 3.3% (2010 est.)
note: 99% of the population is Latino
Languages
Spanish, English
major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Roman Catholic 56%, Protestant 33% (largely Pentecostal), other 2%, atheist 1%, none 7% (2014 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 12.84% (male 199,933/female 192,690)
15-64 years: 62.98% (male 921,003/female 1,004,395)
65 years and over: 24.18% (2023 est.) (male 317,522/female 421,768)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 56.3
youth dependency ratio: 21.3
elderly dependency ratio: 34.9
potential support ratio: 2.9 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 45.6 years (2023 est.)
male: 43.6 years
female: 47.2 years
comparison ranking: total 14
Population distribution
population clusters tend to be found along the coast, the largest of these is found in and around San Juan; an exception to this is a sizeable population located in the interior of the island immediately south of the capital around Caguas; most of the interior, particularly in the western half of the island, is dominated by the Cordillera Central mountains, where population density is low
Urbanization
urban population: 93.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
2.440 million SAN JUAN (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 171
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81.9 years (2023 est.)
male: 78.7 years
female: 85.3 years
comparison ranking: total population 35
Gross reproduction rate
0.61 (2023 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Physicians density
3.06 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
37.4% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.4%
male: 92.4%
female: 92.4% (2021)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 18 years (2018)
Environment
Environment - current issues
soil erosion; occasional droughts cause water shortages; industrial pollution
Climate
tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Land use
agricultural land: 22% (2018 est.)
arable land: 6.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 5.6% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 63.2% (2018 est.)
other: 14.8% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 93.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 4,170,953 tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 583,933 tons (2013 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 14% (2013 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 800 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 2.37 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
7.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico
abbreviation: PR
etymology: Christopher COLUMBUS named the island San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist) and the capital city and main port Cuidad de Puerto Rico (Rich Port City); over time, however, the names were shortened and transposed and the island came to be called Puerto Rico and its capital San Juan
Government type
unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; note - reference Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act, 2 March 1917, as amended by Public Law 600, 3 July 1950
Dependency status
unincorporated organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President
Capital
name: San Juan
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name dates to 1521 and the founding of the city under the name "Ciudad de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico" (City of Saint John the Baptist of Puerto Rico)
Administrative divisions
none (territory of 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
Independence
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
National holiday
US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Constitution
history: previous 1900 (Organic Act, or Foraker Act); latest ratified by referendum 3 March 1952, approved 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952
amendments: proposed by a concurrent resolution of at least two-thirds majority by the total Legislative Assembly membership; approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses and approval by a majority of voters in a special referendum; if passed by at least three-fourths Assembly vote, the referendum can be held concurrently with the next general election; constitutional articles such as the republican form of government or the bill of rights cannot be amended; amended 1952
Legal system
civil law system based on the Spanish civil code and within the framework of the US federal system
Citizenship
see United States
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch
chief of state: President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021)
head of government: Governor Pedro PIERLUISI (since 2 January 2021)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by governor with the consent of the Legislative Assembly
elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of Puerto Rico do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)
election results:
2020: Pedro PIERLUISI elected governor; percent of vote - Pedro PIERLUISI (PNP) 32.9%, Carlos DELGADO (PPD) 31.6%, Alexandra LUGARO (independent) 14.2%, Juan DALMAU (PIP) 13.7%, other 7.6%
2016: Ricardo ROSSELLO elected governor; percent of vote - Ricardo ROSSELLO (PNP) 41.8%, David BERNIER (PPD) 38.9%, Alexandra LUGARO (independent) 11.1%, Manuel CIDRE (independent) 5.7%
Legislative branch
description:
bicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa consists of:
Senate or Senado (30 seats statutory, 27 current; 16 members directly elected in 8 2-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 11 at-large members directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (51 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
elections:
Senate - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024 )
House of Representatives - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)
election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 12, NP 10, MVC 2, PD 1, PIP 1, independent 1; composition - men 17, women 10; percent of women 37%
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 26, PNP 21, MVC 2, PIP 1, PD 1; composition - men 41, women 10, percent of women 19.6%; note - total Legislative Assembly percent of women 25.6%note: Puerto Rico directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 4-year term as a commissioner to the US House of Representatives; the commissioner can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House but not when legislation is submitted for a 'full floor' House vote; election of commissioner last held on 6 November 2018 (next to be held in November 2022)
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 8 associate justices)
judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by majority Senate vote; judges serve until compulsory retirement at age 70
subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; First Instance Court comprised of superior and municipal courts
Political parties and leaders
Citizens' Victory Movement (Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana) or MVC [Manuel NATAL Albelo]
Democratic Party of Puerto Rico [Charlie RODRIGUEZ]
New Progressive Party or PNP [Pedro PIERLUISI Urrutia] (pro-US statehood)
Popular Democratic Party or PPD [Jose Luis DALMAU] (pro-commonwealth)
Project Dignity (Projecto Dignidad) or PD [Cesar VASQUEZ Muniz]
Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] (pro-independence)
Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Jenniffer GONZALEZ]
International organization participation
AOSIS (observer), Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WFTU (NGOs)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
Flag description
five equal horizontal bands of red (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; the white star symbolizes Puerto Rico; the three sides of the triangle signify the executive, legislative and judicial parts of the government; blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters; red symbolizes the blood shed by warriors, while white represents liberty, victory, and peace
note: design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
National symbol(s)
Puerto Rican spindalis (bird), coqui (frog); national colors: red, white, blue
National anthem
name: "La Borinquena" (The Puerto Rican)
lyrics/music: Manuel Fernandez JUNCOS/Felix Astol ARTES
note: music adopted 1952, lyrics adopted 1977; the local anthem's name is a reference to the indigenous name of the island, Borinquen; the music was originally composed as a dance in 1867 and gained popularity in the early 20th century; there is some evidence that the music was written by Francisco RAMIREZ; as a commonwealth of the US, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is official (see United States)
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the US entry
selected World Heritage Site locales: La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site
Economy
Economic overview
US Caribbean island territorial economy; hit hard by COVID-19 and hurricanes; declining labor force and job growth after a decade of continuous recession; capital-based industry and tourism; high poverty; energy import-dependent
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$106.5 billion (2021 est.)
$106.28 billion (2020 est.)
$111.117 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 89
Real GDP per capita
$32,600 (2021 est.)
$32,400 (2020 est.)
$34,800 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 65
GDP (official exchange rate)
$104.2 billion (2017 est.)
Credit ratings
Standard & Poors rating: D (2015)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 0.8% (2017 est.)
industry: 50.1% (2017 est.)
services: 49.1% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 183; industry 12; agriculture 203
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 87.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 12.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 11.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.5% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 117.8% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -129.8% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
milk, plantains, bananas, poultry, tomatoes, mangoes/guavas, eggs, oranges, gourds, papayas
Industries
pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 18.5% (2021 est.)
male: 19.4%
female: 15.6%
comparison ranking: total 92
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Budget
revenues: $9.268 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: $9.974 billion (2017 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
Exports - partners
Italy 15%, Netherlands 15%, Belgium 9%, Japan 8%, Germany 8%, Austria 8%, Spain 7%, China 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, hormones, orthopedic and medical appliances, sulfur compounds (2019)
Imports - partners
Ireland 38%, Singapore 9%, Switzerland 8%, South Korea 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
nitrogen compounds, sulfur compounds, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines, cars (2019)
Debt - external
$56.82 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
$52.98 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
comparison ranking: 62
Exchange rates
the US dollar is used
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 6.18 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 15,203,140,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 2.5 billion kWh (2019 est.)
comparison rankings: imports 180; exports 172; installed generating capacity 80; transmission/distribution losses 77; consumption 80
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 94.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 3.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 1.361 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 1.502 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 79,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 1,366,512,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 1,366,512,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
18.999 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 3.774 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 11.407 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 3.818 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 86
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 726,739 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 80
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 3,661,176 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 112 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 137
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: Puerto Rico has a small telecom market which in recent years has been deeply affected by a combination of economic mismanagement and natural disasters, including two hurricanes which landed in late 2017 and an earthquake which struck in January 2020; these disasters caused considerable destruction of telecom infrastructure, which in turn led to a marked decline in the number of subscribers for all services; compounding these difficulties have been a long-term economic downturn which encouraged many people not to resume telecom services after these were restored; after some delay, the FCC in late 2019 issued an order relating to the release of funds to help rebuild telecom infrastructure; although Puerto Rico is a US territory it lags well behind the mainland US states in terms of fixed-line and broadband services; this is partly due to high unemployment rates (and consequently low disposable income) and poor telecoms investment in a market; the mobile market has been impacted by several mergers and acquisitions over the last few years; the activities of large multinational telcos continue to impact the Puerto Rican market; operators have secured spectrum in the 600MHz and 3.5GHz bands, thus enabling them to expand the reach of LTE services and launch services based on 5G; the growing number of submarine cables landing in Puerto Rico is helping to drive down the cost of telecom services, creating a demand for streaming content from abroad; the uptake of cloud-based applications for both business and individuals is also creating a heightened demand for affordable services (2021)
domestic: fixed-line is 22 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 112 per 100 persons (2021)
international: country code - 1-787, 939; landing points for the GTMO-PR, AMX-1, BRUSA, GCN, PCCS, SAm-1, Southern Caribbean Fiber, Americas-II, Antillas, ARCOS, SMPR-1, and Taino-Carib submarine cables providing connectivity to the mainland US, Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2019)
Broadcast media
more than 30 TV stations operating; cable TV subscription services are available; roughly 125 radio stations
Internet users
total: 2,564,100 (2021 est.)
percent of population: 77.7% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 127
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 671,284 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 83
Transportation
Airports - with paved runways
17
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
12
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Ensenada Honda, Mayaguez, Playa de Guayanilla, Playa de Ponce, San Juan
container port(s) (TEUs): San Juan (1,438,218) (2021)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Guayanilla Bay
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular indigenous military forces; US National Guard (Army and Air), State Guard, Police Force
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work