Puerto Rico (2001) | Spratly Islands (2008) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
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 | - |
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.) |
- |
Agriculture - products | sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens | - |
Airports | 28 (2000 est.) | 3 (2007) |
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: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
9 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total:
9,104 sq km land: 8,959 sq km water: 145 sq km |
total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
Area - comparative | slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island | NA |
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 Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim. |
Birth rate | 15.26 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues:
$6.7 billion expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00) |
- |
Capital | San Juan | - |
Climate | tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation | tropical |
Coastline | 501 km | 926 km |
Constitution | ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952 | - |
Country name | conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conventional short form: Puerto Rico |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | - |
Death rate | 7.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | commonwealth associated with the US | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | - |
Disputes - international | none | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
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%. | Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. |
Electricity - consumption | 15.587 billion kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
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: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 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% | - |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | - |
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% |
- |
Exports | $38.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | - |
Exports - commodities | pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment | - |
Exports - partners | US 88% (2000) | - |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | - |
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 | - |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $39 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1% industry: 45% services: 54% (1999 est.) |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.8% (2000 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 18 15 N, 66 30 W | 8 38 N, 111 55 E |
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 | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs |
Heliports | - | 3 (2007) |
Highways | total:
14,400 km paved: 14,400 km unpaved: 0 km (1996) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Imports | $27 billion (c.i.f., 2000) | - |
Imports - commodities | chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products | - |
Imports - partners | US 60% (2000) | - |
Independence | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products; tourism | - |
Infant mortality rate | 9.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | - |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.7% (2000 est.) | - |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate) | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 76 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 390 sq km (1993 est.) | 0 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) | - |
Labor force | 1.3 million (2000) | - |
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: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | Spanish, English | - |
Legal system | based on Spanish civil code | - |
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) |
- |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
75.76 years male: 71.28 years female: 80.48 years (2001 est.) |
- |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% (1980 est.) |
- |
Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic | Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
NA |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam |
Military branches | paramilitary National Guard, Police Force | - |
National holiday | US Independence Day, 4 July (1776) | - |
Nationality | noun:
Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens) adjective: Puerto Rican |
- |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts; hurricanes | typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard |
Natural resources | some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential |
Net migration rate | -2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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] | - |
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 | - |
Population | 3,937,316 (July 2001 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0.54% (2001 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Radios | 2.7 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total:
96 km narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge, rural, narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger service |
- |
Religions | Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% | - |
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.) |
- |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | - |
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 |
- |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.322 million (1997) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 169,265 (1996) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 18 (plus three stations of the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service) (1997) | - |
Terrain | mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas | flat |
Total fertility rate | 1.9 children born/woman (2001 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 9.5% (2000) | - |
Waterways | none | - |