Puerto Rico (2001) | Jersey (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | 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 (British crown dependency) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
23.73% (male 478,441; female 455,800) 15-64 years: 65.72% (male 1,242,245; female 1,345,421) 65 years and over: 10.55% (male 177,083; female 238,326) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.9% (male 8,287; female 7,729)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 30,099; female 30,347) 65 years and over: 14.8% (male 5,729; female 7,584) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens | potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products |
Airports | 28 (2000 est.) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
19 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
9 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
9,104 sq km land: 8,959 sq km water: 145 sq km |
total: 116 sq km
land: 116 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Discovered by Columbus in 1493, the island was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. A popularly elected governor has served since 1948. In plebiscites held in 1967 and 1993, voters chose to retain commonwealth status. | The island of Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. |
Birth rate | 15.26 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 10.86 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$6.7 billion expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00) |
revenues: $601 million
expenditures: $588 million, including capital expenditures of $98 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | San Juan | Saint Helier |
Climate | tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation | temperate; mild winters and cool summers |
Coastline | 501 km | 70 km |
Constitution | ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952 | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
Country name | conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conventional short form: Puerto Rico |
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound |
Death rate | 7.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | none |
Dependency status | commonwealth associated with the US | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | none |
Economy - overview | Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has 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. Prospects for 2001 are clouded by a probable slowing down in both the construction and tourist sectors and by increasing inflation, particularly in energy and food prices; estimated growth will be 2%. | The economy is based largely on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. In 1996 the finance sector accounted for about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of the economy, accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax haven. |
Electricity - consumption | 15.587 billion kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | NA kWh
note: electricity supplied by France |
Electricity - production | 16.76 billion kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
98.45% hydro: 1.55% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m |
Environment - current issues | erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages | NA |
Ethnic groups | white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9% | UK and Norman-French descent |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Sila M. CALDERON (since NA January 2001) 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 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004) election results: Sila M. CALDERON (PDP) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.8% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshall Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001) and Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since NA February 1995) cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch |
Exports | $38.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment | light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles |
Exports - partners | US 88% (2000) | UK |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | 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 influenced by the US flag, but based on the Cuban flag | white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag and in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield holding the three lions of England in yellow |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $39 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1% industry: 45% services: 54% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2% services: 93% (1996) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.8% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 18 15 N, 66 30 W | 49 15 N, 2 10 W |
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 | largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier |
Highways | total:
14,400 km paved: 14,400 km unpaved: 0 km (1996) |
total: 577 km (1995)
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $27 billion (c.i.f., 2000) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals |
Imports - partners | US 60% (2000) | UK |
Independence | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products; tourism | tourism, banking and finance, dairy |
Infant mortality rate | 9.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.7% (2000 est.) | 4.7% (1998) |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate) | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 76 (2000) | NA |
Irrigated land | 390 sq km (1993 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Superior Courts; Municipal Courts (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate) | Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff) |
Labor force | 1.3 million (2000) | 57,050 (1996) (1996) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
4% permanent crops: 5% permanent pastures: 26% forests and woodland: 16% other: 49% (1993 est.) |
arable land: NEGL%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Spanish, English | English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts |
Legal system | based on Spanish civil code | English law and local statute |
Legislative branch | bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (28 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (54 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PNP 19, PPD 7, PIP 1, other 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PNP 30, PPD 20, PIP 1, other 3 note: Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives; elections last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 1 (Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA) |
unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators (elected for 6-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes (elected for 3-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for 3-year terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and 3 non-voting members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 52 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
75.76 years male: 71.28 years female: 80.48 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 78.78 years
male: 76.34 years female: 81.4 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% (1980 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic | Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | paramilitary National Guard, Police Force | - |
National holiday | US Independence Day, 4 July (1776) | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) |
Nationality | noun:
Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens) adjective: Puerto Rican |
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts; hurricanes | NA |
Natural resources | some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil | arable land |
Net migration rate | -2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 2.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Luis FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD [Hector Luis ACEVEDO]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] | none; all independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | 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 | none |
Population | 3,937,316 (July 2001 est.) | 89,775 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.54% (2001 est.) | 0.44% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan | Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 2.7 million (1997) | NA |
Railways | total:
96 km narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge, rural, narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger service |
0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | NA years of age; universal adult |
Telephone system | 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: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 3 submarine cables |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.322 million (1997) | 65,500 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 169,265 (1996) | 4,400 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 18 (plus three stations of the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service) (1997) | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas | gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast |
Total fertility rate | 1.9 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.57 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 9.5% (2000) | 0.7% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |