                                                                                
(commonwealth associated with the US)                                           
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 9,104 km2; land area: 8,959 km2                                     
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode              
Island                                                                          
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 501 km                                                               
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;                                                         
                                                                                
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);                                               
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
Climate: tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature                     
variation                                                                       
                                                                                
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north;                     
mountains precipitous to sea on west coast                                      
                                                                                
Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore                
and offshore crude oil                                                          
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures              
41%; forest and woodland 20%; other 22%                                         
                                                                                
Environment: many small rivers and high central mountains ensure                
land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain         
belt in north                                                                   
                                                                                
Note: important location between the Dominican Republic and the                 
Virgin Islands group 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                                                                   
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 3,294,997 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)                      
                                                                                
Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                    
                                                                                
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                       
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                       
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Puerto Rican(s); adjective--Puerto Rican                     
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic                                      
                                                                                
Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other                
15%                                                                             
                                                                                
Language: Spanish (official); English is widely understood                      
                                                                                
Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over can                        
read and write (1980)                                                           
                                                                                
Labor force: 1,068,000; government 28%, manufacturing 15%,                      
trade 14%, agriculture 3%, other 40% (1990)                                     
                                                                                
Organized labor: 115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the                
General Confederation of Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983)        
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico                                     
                                                                                
Type: commonwealth associated with the US                                       
                                                                                
Capital: San Juan                                                               
                                                                                
Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with                    
the US)                                                                         
                                                                                
Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)                        
                                                                                
Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3                  
July 1952; effective 25 July 1952                                               
                                                                                
National holiday: Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)                              
                                                                                
Legal system: based on Spanish civil code                                       
                                                                                
Executive branch: US president, US vice president, governor                     
                                                                                
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an               
upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives             
                                                                                
Judicial branch: Supreme Court                                                  
                                                                                
Leaders:                                                                        
                                                                                
Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January                         
1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);                       
                                                                                
Head of Government Governor Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (since 2                     
January 1989)                                                                   
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders:                                                  
Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon;                         
New Progressive Party (PNP), Carlos ROMERO Barcelo;                             
Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan MARI Bras and Carlos                   
GALLISA;                                                                        
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS Martinez;                  
Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown                           
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US                    
citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections                          
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
Governor--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November                 
1992);                                                                          
results--Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar CORRADA Del Rio           
(PNP) 45.8%, Ruben BERRIOS Martinez (PIP) 5.5%;                                 
                                                                                
Senate--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November                   
1992);                                                                          
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1;                                         
                                                                                
House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be                 
held 3 November 1992);                                                          
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2;                                        
                                                                                
US House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be              
held 3 November 1992); results--Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting                
representative                                                                  
                                                                                
Other political or pressure groups: all have engaged in terrorist               
activities--Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN), Volunteers of          
the Puerto Rican Revolution, Boricua Popular Army (also known as the            
Macheteros), Armed Forces of Popular Resistance                                 
                                                                                
Member of: ECLAC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WFTU, WTO (associate)                        
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the               
US)                                                                             
                                                                                
Flag: 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 based on the        
US flag                                                                         
                                                                                
ECONOMY                                                                         
Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the              
Caribbean region. Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary             
sector 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. Important new industries include                
pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, and processed           
foods. 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            
for the island. The economy is slowly recovering from the disruptions           
caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. The tourism infrastructure          
was especially hard hit.                                                        
                                                                                
GNP: $20.1 billion, per capita $6,100; real growth rate 3.6% (FY89)             
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.3% (October 1989-90)                        
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 14.9% (October 1990)                                         
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $5.5 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion,                       
including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (FY89)                           
                                                                                
Exports: $16.4 billion (f.o.b., FY89);                                          
                                                                                
commodities--pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna,                
rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments;                     
                                                                                
partners--US 87%                                                                
                                                                                
Imports: $14.0 billion (c.i.f., FY89);                                          
                                                                                
commodities--chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products;               
                                                                                
partners--US 60%                                                                
                                                                                
External debt: $NA                                                              
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate 1.6% (FY89)                                  
                                                                                
Electricity: 4,149,000 kW capacity; 14,844 million kWh produced,                
4,510 kWh per capita (1990)                                                     
                                                                                
Industries: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics,                      
apparel, food products, instruments; tourism                                    
                                                                                
Agriculture: accounts for 3% of labor force; crops--sugarcane,                  
coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock--cattle, chickens;            
imports a large share of food needs                                             
                                                                                
Economic aid: none                                                              
                                                                                
Currency: US currency is used                                                   
                                                                                
Exchange rates: US currency is used                                             
                                                                                
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June                                                     
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Railroads: 100 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane;              
no passenger railroads                                                          
                                                                                
Highways: 13,762 km paved                                                       
                                                                                
Ports: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo                                       
                                                                                
Airports: 33 total; 23 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways;               
none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;                   
4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                    
                                                                                
Telecommunications: 900,000 or 99% of total households with TV;                 
1,067,787 telephones (1988); stations--50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV (1990)                
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: paramilitary National Guard, Police Force                             
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 830,133; NA fit for military                
service                                                                         
                                                                                
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US                                   
                                                                                
