Puerto Rico (2005) | British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) | |
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: 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.) |
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Agriculture - products | sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens | - |
Airports | 30 (2004 est.) | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | 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.) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) |
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Area | total: 9,104 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km water: 145 sq km |
total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
Area - comparative | slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. |
Birth rate | 13.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00) |
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Capital | San Juan | - |
Climate | tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 501 km | 698 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: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
Death rate | 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | - |
Debt - external | NA | - |
Dependency status | commonwealth associated with the US | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricted access to the largest island in the chain |
Economic aid - recipient | NA (2001) | - |
Economy - overview | 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. | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. |
Electricity - consumption | 20.54 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | 22.09 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 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)
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% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
Exports | NA | - |
Exports - commodities | chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment | - |
Exports - partners | US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.) | - |
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 initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 45% services: 54% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.7% (2004 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 18 15 N, 66 30 W | 6 00 S, 71 30 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 | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility |
Highways | total: 25,328 km
paved: 23,665 km (including 426 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,363 km (2004) |
total: NA km
paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Imports | NA | - |
Imports - commodities | chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products | - |
Imports - partners | US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.) | - |
Independence | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism | - |
Infant mortality rate | 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.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.5% (2003 est.) | - |
International organization participation | ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate) | - |
Irrigated land | 400 sq km (1998 est.) | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | 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 | 1.3 million (2000) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 3.95%
permanent crops: 5.52% other: 90.53% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
Languages | Spanish, English | - |
Legal system | based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | 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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.29 years
male: 74.35 years female: 82.43 years (2005 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 93.9% female: 94.4% (2002 est.) |
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Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Political Map of the World |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | 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) |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force | - |
National holiday | US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952) | - |
Nationality | noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican |
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Natural hazards | periodic droughts; hurricanes | NA |
Natural resources | some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil | coconuts, fish, sugarcane |
Net migration rate | -1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | 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 | 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 | 3,916,632 (July 2005 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | - |
Population growth rate | 0.47% (2005 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Las Mareas, Mayaguez, San Juan | Diego Garcia |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
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Religions | Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% | - |
Sex ratio | 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.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; island residents 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: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US |
general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,329,500 (2002) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,211,111 (2001) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (19 relay stations) (2004) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) |
Total fertility rate | 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 12% (2002) | - |