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Compare Lebanon (2008) - Puerto Rico (2005)

Compare Lebanon (2008) z Puerto Rico (2005)

 Lebanon (2008)Puerto Rico (2005)
 LebanonPuerto Rico
Administrative divisions 8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakar, Baalbek-Hermel, Beqaa, Beyrouth, Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 26.2% (male 525,199/female 504,240)


15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,255,624/female 1,361,265)


65 years and over: 7.1% (male 125,904/female 153,270) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 22% (male 441,594/female 421,986)


15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,228,583/female 1,337,066)


65 years and over: 12.4% (male 211,283/female 276,120) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens
Airports 7 (2007) 30 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 5


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 17


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 total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
total: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
Area total: 10,400 sq km


land: 10,230 sq km


water: 170 sq km
total: 9,104 sq km


land: 8,959 sq km


water: 145 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Background Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this territory and separated out a region of Lebanon in 1920. France granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war (1975-1990) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections, most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, a radical Shi'a organization listed by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the passage in October 2004 of UNSCR 1559 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs -encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 20 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"), and Syria withdrew the remainder of its military forces in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a majority to the bloc led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son. Lebanon continues to be plagued by violence - Hizballah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers in July 2006 leading to a 34-day conflict with Israel. The LAF in May-September 2007 battled Sunni extremist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp; and the country has witnessed a string of politically motivated assassinations since the death of Rafiq HARIRI. Lebanese politicians in November 2007 were unable to agree on a successor to Emile LAHUD when he stepped down as president, creating a political vacuum. 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.
Birth rate 18.08 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 13.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $6.116 billion


expenditures: $9.421 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $6.7 billion


expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00)
Capital name: Beirut


geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
San Juan
Climate Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 225 km 501 km
Constitution 23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989 ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952
Country name conventional long form: Lebanese Republic


conventional short form: Lebanon


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah


local short form: Lubnan


former: Greater Lebanon
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico


conventional short form: Puerto Rico
Death rate 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $34.67 billion (31 December 2007 est.) NA
Dependency status - commonwealth associated with the US
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michele J. SISON


embassy: Awkar, Lebanon; (Awkar facing the Municipality)


mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070


telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600


FAX: [961] (4) 544136
none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Antoine CHEDID


chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-6300


FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324


consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles
none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Disputes - international lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978 increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
Economic aid - recipient Of the $7.6 billion in grants and loans pledged to Lebanon at the Paris III conference in January 2007, Beirut as of mid-December 2007 had signed agreements for $3 billion, including $1 billion in project financing, $750 million in direct budget support, $750 million in private sector credit, and $285 million in in-kind aid. About $500 million of the $1.7 billion pledged for direct budget support has been disbursed to Lebanon. Donors in August 2006 also pledged nearly $1.8 billion in aid to help Lebanon recover from the 2006 Israel-Hizballah war. During the conflict, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait provided $1.5 billion in concessional loans to the Lebanese central bank to maintain confidence in the Lebanese currency.
(2005)
NA (2001)
Economy - overview The 1975-90 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. In the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government began an austerity program, reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection, and privatizing state enterprises, but economic and financial reform initiatives stalled and public debt continued to grow despite receipt of more than $2 billion in bilateral assistance at the Paris II Donors Conference. The Israeli-Hizballah conflict in July-August 2006 caused an estimated $3.6 billion in infrastructure damage, and prompted international donors to pledge nearly $1 billion in recovery and reconstruction assistance. Donors met again in January 2007 and pledged over $7.5 billion to Lebanon for development projects and budget support, conditioned on progress on Beirut's fiscal reform and privatization program. Internal Lebanese political tension continues to hamper economic activity, particularly in the tourism and retail sectors. 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, and has recovered in 2004.
Electricity - consumption 10.58 billion kWh (2005) 20.54 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 455 million kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 9.183 billion kWh (2005) 22.09 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m


highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
-
Ethnic groups Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%


note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%
Exchange rates Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2007), 1,507.5 (2006), 1,507.5 (2005), 1,507.5 (2004), 1,507.5 (2003) the US dollar is used
Executive branch chief of state: vacant (as of 24 November 2007); note - former President Emile LAHUD's term expired on 23 November 2007, and the Cabinet temporarily assumed presidential powers


head of government: Prime Minister Fuad SINIORA (since 30 June 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since April 2005)


cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 1998 (next election orginally scheduled for fall 2004 but was postponed beyond the constitutionally mandated 23 November deadline; under Syrian pressure, Parliament extended Lahoud's term for three years); the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; by agreement, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the National Assembly is a Shi'a Muslim


election results: for 15 October 1998 election: Emile LAHUD elected president; National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against, 10 abstentions
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)


head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature


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)


election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4%
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) NA
Exports - commodities authentic jewelry, inorganic chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment
Exports - partners Syria 26.8%, UAE 12%, Switzerland 6%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, Turkey 4.5% (2006) US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
Flag description three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band 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
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5.2%


industry: 18.4%


services: 76.4% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 45%


services: 54% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 0.3% (2007 est.) 2.7% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 33 50 N, 35 50 E 18 15 N, 66 30 W
Geography - note Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity 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
Highways - total: 25,328 km


paved: 23,665 km (including 426 km of expressways)


unpaved: 1,363 km (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002 despite continued significant cannabis consumption; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption; money laundering of drug proceeds fuels concern that extremists are benefiting from drug trafficking -
Imports 102,300 bbl/day (2004) NA
Imports - commodities petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
Imports - partners Syria 11.6%, Italy 9.8%, US 9.3%, France 7.7%, Germany 6.1%, China 5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7% (2006) US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.)
Independence 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries banking, tourism, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 23.39 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 20.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 8.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.52 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.6% (2007 est.) 6.5% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate)
Irrigated land 1,040 sq km (2003) 400 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council (called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws); Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed) 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)
Labor force 1.5 million


note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2005 est.)
1.3 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries total: 454 km


border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 16.35%


permanent crops: 13.75%


other: 69.9% (2005)
arable land: 3.95%


permanent crops: 5.52%


other: 90.53% (2001)
Languages Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian Spanish, English
Legal system mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held in four rounds on 29 May, 5, 12, 19 June 2005 (next to be held 2009)


election results: percent of vote by group - NA; seats by group - Future Movement Bloc 36; Democratic Gathering 15; Development and Resistance Bloc 15; Free Patriotic Movement 15; Loyalty to the Resistance 14; Qornet Shewan 6; Lebanese Forces 5; Popular Bloc 4; Tripoli Independent Bloc 3; Kataeb Reform Movement 2; Syrian National Socialist Party 2; Tashnaq 2; Syrian Ba'th Party 1; Democratic Left 1; Democratic Renewal Movement 1; Kataeb Party 1; Nasserite Popular Movement 1; independent 4
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)


elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD 40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%, PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1


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 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); results - percent of vote by party - PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1; Luis FORTUNO elected resident commissioner
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.15 years


male: 70.67 years


female: 75.77 years (2007 est.)
total population: 78.29 years


male: 74.35 years


female: 82.43 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 87.4%


male: 93.1%


female: 82.2% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 94.1%


male: 93.9%


female: 94.4% (2002 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Map references Middle East Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 35 ships (1000 GRT or over) 132,871 GRT/140,011 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 14, livestock carrier 12, passenger/cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 2


foreign-owned: 3 (Greece 2, Syria 1)


registered in other countries: 55 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Barbados 1, Cambodia 7, Comoros 5, Cyprus 1, Dominica 1, Egypt 1, Georgia 3, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 1, North Korea 3, Liberia 2, Malta 12, Mongolia 1, Panama 3, St Vincent and The Grenadines 7, Syria 4, unknown 2) (2007)
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 36,728 GRT/37,048 DWT


by type: roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 2 (United States 2)


registered in other countries: 1 (2005)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army, Navy, and Air Force (2007) no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.1% (2005 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 22 November (1943) US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Nationality noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)


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


adjective: Puerto Rican
Natural hazards dust storms, sandstorms periodic droughts; hurricanes
Natural resources limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines gas 43 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders 14 March Coalition: Democratic Gathering Bloc [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of Progressive Socialist Party]; Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH]; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad HARIRI]; Kataeb Party [Amine GEMAYEL]; Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Tripoli Independent Bloc


Change and Reform Alliance Bloc: Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]; Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Tashnaq


Hizballah and Amal Alliance: Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal Movement]; Hizballah Party [Hassan NASRALLAH]; Loyalty to the Resistance [Mohammad RA'AD]; Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD]; Syrian Ba'th Party [Sayez SHUKR]; Syrian Social Nationalist Party [Ali QANSO]
National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders none 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
Population 3,925,502 (July 2007 est.) 3,916,632 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 28% (1999 est.) NA
Population growth rate 1.198% (2007 est.) 0.47% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Las Mareas, Mayaguez, San Juan
Radio broadcast stations AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998) AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 401 km


standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m


narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m


note: rail system became unusable because of damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2006)
total: 96 km


narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Religions Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%


note: 17 religious sects recognized
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.042 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.922 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.821 male(s)/female


total population: 0.944 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female


total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Telephone system general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete


domestic: two wireless networks provide good service; political instability hampers privatization and deployment of new technologies; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership approaching 50 per 100 persons


international: country code - 961; submarine cable link to Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria
general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability


domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service


international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US
Telephones - main lines in use 681,400 (2006) 1,329,500 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.103 million (2006) 1,211,111 (2001)
Television broadcast stations 15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995) 6 (19 relay stations) (2004)
Terrain narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Total fertility rate 1.88 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 20% (2006 est.) 12% (2002)
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