Puerto Rico

Airports

total: 30 usable: 23 with permanent-surface runways: 19 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 5

Highways

total: 13,762 km paved: 13,762 km (1982)

Ports

San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo

Railroads

96 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger railroads

Telecommunications

modern system, integrated with that of the US by high capacity submarine cable and INTELSAT with high-speed data capability; digital telephone system with about 1 million lines; cellular telephone service; broadcast stations - 50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV; cable television available with US programs (1990)

Branches

paramilitary National Guard, Police Force

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Agriculture

accounts for only 3% of labor force and less than 2% of GDP: crops - sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock - cattle, chickens; imports a large share of food needs (1992)

Budget

revenues: $5.8 billion expenditures: $5.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $258 million (1989 est.)

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

none

Electricity

capacity: 5,040,000 kW production: 16.1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,260 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$21.8 billion (1992) commodities: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments partners: US 88.3% (1990)

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Imports

$14.8 billion (1992) commodities: chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products partners: US 68.8% (1990)

Industrial production

growth rate 1.2% (FY92)

Industries

manufacturing accounts for 55.5% of GDP: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (1992 est.)

National product

GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $26.8 billion (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$7,100 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

NA%

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. US minimum wage laws apply. Important 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, with estimated arrivals of nearly 3 million tourists in 1989. Unemployment remains a severe problem at 18%.

Unemployment rate

18% (1993 est.)

Area

total area: 9,104 sq km land area: 8,959 sq km comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island

Climate

tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

501 km

Environment

current issues: NA natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

390 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 8% permanent crops: 9% meadows and pastures: 41% forest and woodland: 20% other: 22%

Location

Caribbean, in the North Caribbean Sea, between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands group

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore crude oil

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

Terrain

mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas

Administrative divisions

none (commonwealth associated with the US), note: there are 78 municipalities

Capital

San Juan

Constitution

ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952

Digraph

RQ

Diplomatic representation in US

none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Executive branch

chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) head of government: Governor Pedro ROSSELLO (since NA January 1993); election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - Pedro ROSSELLO (PND) 50%, Victoria MUNOZ (PPD) 46%, Fernando MARTIN (PIP) 4%

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

House of Representatives

elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (53 total) seats by party NA

Independence

none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on Spanish civil code

Legislative branch

bicameral Legislative Assembly

Member of

CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WTO (associate)

Names

conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conventional short form: Puerto Rico

National holiday

US Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

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

Political parties and leaders

National Republican Party of Puerto Rico, Freddy VALENTIN; 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

Senate

elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (27 total) seats by party NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Type

commonwealth associated with the US

US House of Representatives

elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) seats by party NA; note - Puerto Rico elects one representative to the US House of Representatives, Carlos Romero BARCELO

US diplomatic representation

none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Birth rate

16.5 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

7.93 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Hispanic

Infant mortality rate

13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

1.17 million (1992) by occupation: government 20%, manufacturing 14%, trade 17%, construction 5%, communications and transportation 5%, other 39% (1992)

Languages

Spanish (official), English widely understood

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.95 years male: 70.42 years female: 77.65 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88%

Nationality

noun: Puerto Rican(s) adjective: Puerto Rican

Net migration rate

-7.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

3,801,977 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.13% (1994 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%

Total fertility rate

2.04 children born/woman (1994 est.)