Everything about Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico totally explained
Puerto Rico, officially the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ([literally,), is a
semi-autonomous territory of the
United States located in the northeastern
Caribbean, east of the
Dominican Republic and west of the
Virgin Islands. The territory is composed of an
archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands and
keys, the largest of which are
Vieques,
Culebra, and
Mona. The main island of Puerto Rico is the smallest by land area but third largest by population among the four
Greater Antilles (
Cuba,
Hispaniola,
Jamaica, and Puerto Rico).
Puerto Ricans often call the island
Borinquen, from
Borikén, its
indigenous Taíno name. The terms
boricua and
borincano derive from
Borikén and
Borinquen respectively, and are commonly used to identify someone of Puerto Rican heritage. The island is also popularly known as "
La Isla del Encanto", which translated means "The Island of Enchantment."
History
Pre-Columbian era
The history of the archipelago of Puerto Rico (Spanish for "Rich Port") before the arrival of
Christopher Columbus isn't well known. What is known today comes from archaeological findings and early
Spanish accounts. The first comprehensive book on the history of Puerto Rico was written by
Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra in 1786, 293 years after the first Spaniards arrived on the island.
The first settlers were the
Ortoiroid people, an
Archaic Period culture of
Amerindian hunters and fishermen. An archaeological dig in the island of Vieques in 1990 found the remains of what is believed to be an
Arcaico (Archaic) man (named Puerto Ferro man) dated to around 2000 BC. Between AD 120 and 400, the
Igneri, a tribe from the
South American
Orinoco region, arrived. Between the 4th and 10th centuries, the Arcaicos and Igneri co-existed (and perhaps clashed) on the island. Between the 7th and 11th century the
Taíno culture developed on the island, and by approximately 1000 AD had become dominant. This lasted until
Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492.
Spanish colony
When
Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico during his second voyage on
November 19,
1493, the island was inhabited by a group of
Arawak Indians known as
Taínos. They called the island "Borikén" or, in Spanish, "Borinquen". Columbus named the island San Juan Bautista, in honor of Saint
John the Baptist. Later the island took the name of Puerto Rico while the capital was named
San Juan. In 1508, Spanish
conquistador Juan Ponce de León became the island's
first governor to take office.
The Spanish soon colonized the island. Taínos were forced into
slavery and were decimated by the harsh conditions of work and by diseases brought by the Spaniards. In 1511, the Taínos revolted against the Spanish; cacique
Urayoán, as planned by
Agüeybaná II, ordered his warriors to drown the Spanish soldier
Diego Salcedo to determine whether the Spaniards were immortal. After drowning Salcedo, they kept watch over his body for three days to confirm his death. The revolt was easily crushed by Ponce de León and within a few decades much of the native population had been decimated by disease, violence, and a high occurrence of suicide.
African slaves were introduced to replace the Taíno. Puerto Rico soon became an important stronghold and port for the
Spanish Empire. Various forts and walls, such as
La Fortaleza,
El Castillo San Felipe del Morro and
El Castillo de San Cristóbal, were built to protect the port of San Juan from European enemies.
France,
The Netherlands and
England made several attempts to capture Puerto Rico but failed to wrest long-term occupancy. During the late 17th and early 18th centuries colonial emphasis was on the more prosperous mainland territories, leaving the island impoverished of settlers.
In 1809 a populist assembly based in
Cádiz recognized Puerto Rico as an overseas province of Spain with the right to send representatives to the
Spanish Court. The representative,
Ramon Power y Giralt, died soon after arriving in Spain. These constitutional reforms were reversed soon afterwards when autocratic monarchy was restored. Nineteenth century reforms augmented the population and economy, and expanded the local character of the island. After the rapid gaining of independence by the South and Central American states in the first part of the century, Puerto Rico and
Cuba became the sole New World remnants of the large Spanish empire.
Toward the end of the 19th century, poverty and political estrangement with Spain led to a small but significant uprising in 1868 known as "
Grito de Lares". It began in the rural town of
Lares but was easily and quickly crushed when rebels moved to the neighboring town of
San Sebastián. Leaders of this independence movement included
Ramón Emeterio Betances, considered the "father" of the Puerto Rican nation, and other political figures such as
Segundo Ruiz Belvis. In 1897,
Luis Muñoz Rivera and others persuaded the liberal Spanish government to agree to Charters of Autonomy for Cuba and Puerto Rico. In 1898, Puerto Rico's first, but short-lived, autonomous government was organized as an 'overseas province' of Spain. The charter maintained a governor appointed by Spain, which held the power to annul any legislative decision, and a partially elected parliamentary structure. In February, Governor-General
Manuel Macías inaugurated the new government under the Autonomous Charter. General elections were held in March and the autonomous government began to function on
17 July 1898.
United States colony
On
July 25,
1898, during the
Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico was invaded by the United States with a landing at
Guánica. As an outcome of the war, Spain ceded Puerto Rico, along with
Cuba, the
Philippines, and
Guam to the U.S. under the
Treaty of Paris.
The United States and Puerto Rico thus began a long-standing relationship. Puerto Rico began the 20th century under the military rule of the U.S. with officials, including the governor, appointed by the
President of the United States. The
Foraker Act of 1900 gave Puerto Rico a certain amount of popular government, including a popularly-elected House of Representatives. On 1917, the
Jones-Shafroth Act granted Puerto Ricans
U.S. citizenship and provided for a popularly-elected Senate to complete a bicameral Legislative Assembly. As a result of their new US citizenship, many Puerto Ricans were drafted into
World War I and all subsequent wars with U.S. participation. This new citizenship also saw a large increase of Puerto Rican migrants to the US.
Natural disasters, including a major
earthquake, a
tsunami and several
hurricanes, and the
Great Depression impoverished the island during the first few decades under American rule. Some political leaders, like
Pedro Albizu Campos who led the
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, demanded change. On
October 30,
1950, Albizu-Campos and other nationalists led a 3-day revolt (known as
The Jayuya Uprising) against the United States in the town of
Jayuya. The United States declared
martial law and attacked Jayuya with infantry, artillery and bombers. On
November 1,
1950, Puerto Rican nationalists
Griselio Torresola and
Oscar Collazo attempted to assassinate President
Harry S Truman. Torresola was killed during the attack, but Collazo was captured. Collazo served 29 years in a federal prison, being released in 1979. Don Pedro Albizu Campos also served many years in a federal prison in
Atlanta, Georgia, for seditious conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government in Puerto Rico.
The internal governance changed during the latter years of the
Roosevelt–
Truman administrations, as a form of compromise led by Muñoz Marín and others. It culminated with the appointment by President Truman in 1946 of the first Puerto Rican-born governor,
Jesus T. Piñero.
Commonwealth
In 1947, the U.S. granted Puerto Ricans the right to democratically elect their own
governor. Luis Muñoz Marín was elected during the 1948 general elections, becoming the first popularly-elected governor of Puerto Rico. In 1950, the Truman Administration allowed for a democratic
referendum in Puerto Rico to determine whether Puerto Ricans desired to draft their own local constitution. A
local constitution was approved by a Constitutional Convention on February 6, 1952, ratified by the U.S. Congress, approved by President Truman on July 3 of that year, and proclaimed by Gov. Muñoz Marín on
July 25,
1952, the anniversary of the 1898 arrival of U.S. troops. Puerto Rico adopted the name of
Estado Libre Asociado (literally translated as "Free Associated State"), officially translated into English as
Commonwealth, for its
body politic.
During the 1950s Puerto Rico experienced rapid industrialization, due in large part to
Operación Manos a la Obra ("
Operation Bootstrap"), an offshoot of FDR's New Deal, which aimed to transform Puerto Rico's economy from agriculture-based to manufacturing-based. For example, in the 1950s, US pharmaceutical companies used the island as a giant laboratory for contraceptive research, including early trials of the birth control pill.
Presently, Puerto Rico has become a major tourist destination and a leading pharmaceutical and manufacturing center. Yet it still struggles to define its political status. Three plebiscites have been held in recent decades to resolve the political status but no changes have been attained. Support for the pro-statehood party,
Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) and the pro-commonwealth party,
Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) remains about equal. The only registered pro-independence party, the
Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP), usually receives 3-5% of the electoral votes.
On
October 25,
2006, the State Department of Puerto Rico conferred the Puerto Rican Citizenship to
Juan Mari Brás. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican Secretary of Justice determined that the Puerto Rican citizenship exists and was recognized in the Constitution of Puerto Rico. Since the summer of 2007, the Puerto Rico State Department has developed the protocol to grant the Puerto Rican citizenship to Puerto Ricans.
Government and politics
republican form of government, subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Its current powers are all delegated by the
United States Congress and lack full protection under the
United States Constitution. Puerto Rico's head of state is the
President of the United States. The government of Puerto Rico, based on the formal
republican system, is composed of three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The
Executive branch is headed by the
Governor, currently Mr.
Anibal Acevedo Vila. The
Legislative branch consists of a
bicameral Legislative Assembly made up of a
Senate upper chamber and a
House of Representatives lower chamber. The Senate is headed by the President of the Senate, while the House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker of the House. The
Judicial branch is headed by the Chief Justice of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. The legal system is a mix of the
civil law and the
common law systems. The governor and legislators are elected by popular vote every four years. Members of the Judicial branch are appointed by the governor with the "advice and consent" of the Senate.
Puerto Rico has limited representation in the U.S. Congress in the form of a nonvoting delegate, formally called a
Resident Commissioner (currently
Luis Fortuño). The current Congress has returned the Commissioner's power to vote in the
Committee of the Whole, but not on matters where the vote would represent a decisive participation. Puerto Rican elections are governed by the
Federal Election Commission; While residing in Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans can't vote in U.S. presidential elections, but they can vote in
primaries. Puerto Ricans who become residents of a
U.S. state can vote in presidential elections.
As Puerto Rico isn't an independent country, it hosts no
embassies. It is host, however, to
consulates from 42 countries, mainly from the
Americas and
Europe. Most consulates are located in San Juan. The
Holy See has designated the Papal Nuncio in the Dominican Republic as the ecclesiastical liaison to the Roman Catholic Church in Puerto Rico; the Papal Nuncio in Washington, D.C. serves as the Vatican State's ambassador to the U.S. and the ecclesiastical liaison to the American Roman Catholic Church.
As an unincorporated territory of the United States, Puerto Rico doesn't have any first-order administrative divisions as defined by the U.S. government, but has 78
municipalities at the second level.
Mona Island isn't a municipality, but part of the municipality of
Mayagüez.
From 1952 to present, Puerto Rico has had 3 political parties which stand for three distinct future political scenarios. The
Popular Democratic Party (PPD) seeks to maintain the island's "association" status as a commonwealth, improved commonwealth and/or seek a true free sovereign-association status or Free Associated Republic, and has won a plurality vote in referendums on the island's status held over six decades after the island was invaded by the U.S. The
New Progressive Party (PNP) seeks
statehood. The
Puerto Rican Independence Party seek
independence. On 2007, a fourth party,
Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR), was ratified. The PPR seeks to address the islands problems (including its status) from a status-neutral platform. Other non-registered parties include the
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, the
Socialist Workers Movement (Puerto Rico), the
Hostosian National Independence Movement, and others.
Political status
Puerto Rico is an “unincorporated territory” of the United States which according to the United States Supreme Court is “a territory appurtenant and belonging to the United States, but not a part of the United States.” Puerto Rico is subject to the Congress’ plenary powers under the “territorial clause” of Article IV, sec. 3, of the U.S. Constitution’s. United States federal law is applicable to Puerto Rico, even though Puerto Rico isn't a
state of the American Union and has no voting representative in the United States Congress. Due to the establishment of the Federal Relations Act of 1950 all federal laws that are “not locally inapplicable” are automatically the law of the land in Puerto Rico.
Estado Libre Asociado
In 1950, the US Congress granted Puerto Ricans the right to organize a constitutional convention via a referendum. Puerto Ricans expressed their support for this measure in 1951 with a second referendum being held to ratify the constitution. The
Constitution of Puerto Rico was formally adopted on
July 3,
1952. The Constitutional Convention specified the name by which the
body politic would be known. On
February 4 1952, the convention approved Resolution 22 which chose in English the word "
Commonwealth", meaning a "politically organized community" or "
state," which is simultaneously connected by a compact or treaty to another political system. The convention adopted a translation into Spanish of the term, inspired by the Irish saorstát
(Free State) of "Estado Libre Asociado" (ELA) to represent the agreement. Literally translated into English the phrase
Estado Libre Asociado means "Associated Free State."
In 1967, the Legislative Assembly tested the political interests of the Puerto Rican people by passing a
plebiscite Act that provided for a vote on the status of Puerto Rico. This constituted the first plebiscite by the Legislature for a choice on three status options (continued Commonwealth, statehood, and independence). The Commonwealth option, represented by the PDP, won with a majority of 60.4% of the votes. After the plebiscite, efforts in the 1970s to enact legislation to address the status issue died in Congressional committees. In subsequent plebiscites on 1993 and 1998 the status quo was upheld.
International status
On
November 27,
1953, shortly after the establishment of the Commonwealth, the General Assembly of the
United Nations approved
Resolution 748, removing Puerto Rico's classification as a
non-self-governing territory under article 73(e) of the Charter from UN. But the General Assembly didn't apply its full list of criteria to Puerto Rico to determine if it has achieved self-governing status. According to the White House Task Force on Puerto Rico's Political Status in its December 21, 2007 report, the U.S., in its written submission to the UN in 1953, never represented that Congress couldn't change its relationship with Puerto Rico without the territory's consent. of the U.S. Constitution. The application of the Constitution to Puerto Rico is limited by the
Insular Cases.
Within the United States
Under the
Constitution of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico is described as a 'Commonwealth' and Puerto Ricans enjoy a degree of
administrative autonomy similar to that of a
U.S. state. Puerto Ricans are statutory U.S. citizens, but since Puerto Rico is an
unincorporated territory and not a U.S. state, the
U.S. Constitution doesn't
enfranchise U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico does participate in the internal political process of both the
Democratic and
Republican parties in the U.S., accorded equal-proportional representation in both parties, and delegates from the islands vote in each party's national convention.
Puerto Rico is classified by the U.S. government as an independent taxation authority by mutual agreement with the U.S. Congress. Contrary to common misconception, residents of Puerto Rico pay U.S. federal taxes: import/export taxes, federal commodity taxes, social security taxes, etc. Most residents don't pay
federal income tax but pay federal
payroll taxes (
Social Security and
Medicare), and Puerto Rico income taxes. But federal employees, or those who do business with the federal government, Puerto Rico-based corporations that intend to send funds to the U.S. and others also pay federal income taxes. Because the cutoff point for income taxation is lower than that of the U.S. IRS code, and because the per-capita income in Puerto Rico is much lower than the average per-capita income on the mainland, more Puerto Rico residents pay income taxes to the local taxation authority than if the IRS code were applied to the island. Residents are eligible for Social Security benefits upon retirement. But Puerto Rico is excluded from
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and receives less than 15% of the
Medicaid funding it would be allotted as a state, while Medicare providers receive only partial state-like reimbursements for services rendered to beneficiaries in Puerto Rico (even though the latter paid fully into the system).
Puerto Ricans may enlist in the U.S. military. Since becoming statutory United States citizens in 1917, Puerto Ricans have been included in the compulsory draft whenever it has been in effect. Puerto Ricans have participated in all U.S. wars since 1898, most notably
World War II, the
Korean and
Vietnam wars, as well as the current Middle Eastern conflicts.
Recent developments
The nature of Puerto Rico's political relationship with the US is the subject of ongoing debate in Puerto Rico, the
United States Congress, and the
United Nations. On 2005 and 2007, two reports were issued by the US President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status. Both reports conclude that Puerto Rico continues to be a territory of US under the plenary powers of the U.S. Congress. The New Progressive Party (PNP) supported the White House Report's conclusions and supported bills to provide for a democratic referendum process among Puerto Rico voters.
Geography
Vieques,
Culebra,
Mona,
Desecheo, and
Caja de Muertos. Of the latter five, only Culebra and Vieques are inhabited year-round. Mona is uninhabited most of the year except for employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. There are also many other even smaller islands including
Monito and "La Isleta de San Juan" which includes
Old San Juan and
Puerta de Tierra.
Puerto Rico has an area of, of which is land and is water. The maximum length from east to west is, and the maximum width from north to south is . Comparing land areas, Puerto Rico is 8/10 the size of
Jamaica and 8/100 the size of
Cuba, the next smallest and the largest countries in the Greater Antilles, respectively. Compared to US states, it's larger than
Delaware and
Rhode Island combined, but slightly smaller than
Connecticut. The main island is mostly mountainous with large coastal areas in the north and south. The main mountain range is called "
La Cordillera Central" (The Central Range). The highest elevation in Puerto Rico,
Cerro de Punta (4,390 feet; 1,338 m), is located in this range. Another important peak is
El Yunque, one of the highest in the
Sierra de Luquillo at the
El Yunque National Forest, with an elevation of 3,494 feet (1,065 m).
Puerto Rico has 17
lakes, all man-made, and more than
50 rivers, most originating in the Cordillera Central. Rivers in the northern region of the island are typically longer and of higher
water flow rates than those of the south, since the south receives less rain than the central and northern regions.
Puerto Rico is composed of
Cretaceous to
Eocene volcanic and
plutonic rocks, overlain by younger
Oligocene and more recent
carbonates and other
sedimentary rocks. Most of the
caverns and
karst topography on the island occurs in the northern region in the carbonates. The oldest rocks are approximately 190 million years old (
Jurassic) and are located at Sierra Bermeja in the southwest part of the island. They may represent part of the
oceanic crust and are believed to come from the
Pacific Ocean realm.
Puerto Rico lies at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American
plates and is being deformed by the
tectonic stresses caused by their interaction. These stresses may cause
earthquakes and
tsunamis. These
seismic events, along with
landslides, represent some of the most dangerous
geologic hazards in the island and in the northeastern Caribbean. The
most recent major earthquake occurred on
October 11,
1918 and had an estimated magnitude of 7.5 on the
Richter scale. It originated off the coast of
Aguadilla and was accompanied by a tsunami.
The
Puerto Rico Trench, the largest and deepest trench in the Atlantic, is located about north of Puerto Rico in the at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates. It is long and about wide. At its deepest point, named the
Milwaukee Deep, it's deep, or about .
Species
endemic to the archipelago are 239
plants, 16
birds and 39
amphibians/
reptiles, recognized as of 1998. Most of these (234, 12 and 33 respectively) are found on the main island. The most recognizable endemic species and a symbol of Puerto Rican pride is the
Coquí, a small frog easily identified by the sound of its call, and from which it gets its name. Most
Coquí species (13 of 17) live in the
El Yunque National Forest, a
tropical rainforest in the northeast of the island previously known as the Caribbean National Forest. El Yunque is home to more than 240 plants, 26 of which are endemic to the island. It is also home to 50 bird species, including one on the top 10
endangered birds in the world, the
Puerto Rican Amazon. Across the island in the southwest, the of dry land at the Guánica Dry Forest Reserve contain over 600 uncommon species of plants and animals, including 48 endangered species and 16 endemic to Puerto Rico.
Economy
In the early 1900s the greatest contributor to Puerto Rico's economy was
agriculture and its main crop was sugar. In the late 1940s a series of projects codenamed
Operation Bootstrap encouraged a significant shift to manufacture via tax exemptions. Manufacturing quickly replaced agriculture as the main industry of the island. Puerto Rico is classified as a
high income country by the
World Bank.
Economic conditions have improved dramatically since the
Great Depression due to external investment in capital-intensive industries such as
petrochemicals,
pharmaceuticals and
technology. Once the beneficiary of special tax treatment from the U.S. government, today local industries must compete with those in more economically depressed parts of the world where wages are not subject to U.S. minimum wage legislation. In recent years, some U.S. and foreign owned factories have moved to lower wage countries in Latin America and Asia. Puerto Rico is subject to U.S. trade laws and restrictions.
Also, starting around 1950, there was heavy migration from Puerto Rico to the
Continental United States, particularly
New York City, in search of better economic conditions. Puerto Rican migration to New York displayed an average yearly migration of 1,800 for the years 1930-1940, 31,000 for 1946-1950, 45,000 for 1951-1960, and a peak of 75,000 in 1953. As of 2003, the
U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more people of Puerto Rican birth or ancestry live in the US than in Puerto Rico.
On
May 1,
2006, the Puerto Rican government faced significant
shortages in cash flows, which forced the closure of the local Department of Education and 42 other government agencies. All 1,536 public schools closed, and 95,762 people were furloughed in the first-ever partial shutdown of the government in the island's history. On
May 10,
2006, the
budget crisis was resolved with a new tax reform agreement so that all government employees could return to work. On November 15, 2006 a 5.5% sales tax was implemented. Municipalities are required by law to apply a municipal sales tax of 1.5% bringing the total sales tax to 7%.
Tourism is an important component of Puerto Rican economy supplying an approximate $1.8 billion. In 1999, an estimated 5 million tourists visited the island, most from the U.S. Nearly a third of these are
cruise ship passengers. A steady increase in hotel registrations since 1998 and the construction of new hotels and new tourism projects, such as the
Puerto Rico Convention Center, indicate the current strength of the tourism industry.
Puerto Ricans had a per capita
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $19,600 for 2007, By comparison, the poorest state of the Union,
Mississippi, had a per capita GSP (nominal) of $24,062 in 2006. The United Nation's Human Development Index ranking isn't regularly available for Puerto Rico, though the UN Development Program assigned it a .942 score in 1998, which would place it among the top 15 countries in the HDI rankings.
Demographics
Population and racial makeup
Racial distribution
During the 1800s hundreds of
Corsican,
French,
Lebanese,
Chinese, and
Portuguese families arrived in Puerto Rico, along with large numbers of immigrants from Spain (mainly from
Catalonia,
Asturias,
Galicia, the
Balearic Islands,
Andalusia, and the
Canary Islands) and numerous Spanish loyalists from Spain's former colonies in South America. Other settlers included
Irish,
Scots,
Germans,
Italians and thousands others who were granted land by Spain during the
Real Cedula de Gracias de 1815 ("
Royal Decree of Graces of 1815"), which allowed European Catholics to settle in the island with a certain amount of free land. This mass immigration during the 19th century helped the population grow from 155,000 in 1800 to almost a million at the close of the century. A census conducted by royal decree on
September 30,
1858, gives the following totals of the Puerto Rican population at this time: 300,430 identified as
Whites; 341,015 as Free
colored; and 41,736 as
Slaves. More recently, Puerto Rico has become the permanent home of over 100,000 legal residents who immigrated from not only Spain, but from
Latin America: Argentines,
Cubans, Dominicans,
Colombians and
Venezuelans.
Emigration has been a major part of Puerto Rico's recent history. Starting soon after
WWII, poverty, cheap airfare and promotion by the island government caused waves of Puerto Ricans to move to the continental United States, particularly to
New York City, New York;
Newark,
Jersey City,
Paterson, and
Camden,
New Jersey;
Chicago, Illinois;
Springfield and
Boston, Massachusetts;
Orlando,
Miami and
Tampa,
Florida;
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania;
Hartford, Connecticut;
Washington, D.C., and
Los Angeles, California. This trend continued even as Puerto Rico's economy improved and its birth rate declined.
According to the
2000 U.S. Census there were almost four million inhabitants. Eighty percent of Puerto Ricans described themselves as "white"; 8% as "
black"; 12% as "
mulatto" and 0.4% as "
American Indian or
Alaska Native". (The U.S. Census doesn't consider
Hispanic a race, and asks if a person considers himself Hispanic in a separate question.)
A 2002 study of
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 800 Puerto Ricans found that 61.1% had Amerindian maternal mtDNA, 26.4% African, and 12.5% Caucasian. Conversely, patrilineal input showed that 70% of all Puerto Rican males have inherited Y chromosome DNA from a male European ancestor, 20% from a male African ancestor, and fewer than 10% from a male Amerindian ancestor. This suggests that the largest components of the Puerto Rican genetic pool are European/Caucasian, Amerindian, and African, in descending order.
Language
The official languages are
Spanish and
English with Spanish being the primary language. In 2008, it's estimated that 50 percent of Puerto Ricans speak English fluently. English is taught as a second language in public and private schools from elementary levels to high school and also in universities. Particularly, the
Spanish of Puerto Rico, has evolved into having many peculiarities that differentiates it from the language as spoken in other Spanish-speaking countries. This is mainly due to the influences from ancestral languages, such as those from the Taínos and Africans, and more recently from the English language influence resulting from its relation with the United States.
Religion
The
Roman Catholic Church has been historically the dominant religion in Puerto Rico. The first
dioceses in the Americas was erected in Puerto Rico in 1511. All
municipalities in Puerto Rico have at least one Catholic church (building), most of which are located at the town center or "
plaza". Protestantism which was suppressed under the Spanish regime has been encouraged under American rule making modern Puerto Rico interconfessional. Taíno religious practices have been rediscovered/reinvented to a degree by a handful of advocates. Various African religious practices have been present since the arrival of African slaves. In particular, the
Yoruba beliefs of
Santeria and/or
Ifá, and the
Kongo-derived
Palo Mayombe find adherence among a few individuals who practice some form of
African traditional religion.
Migration to the United States
Puerto Ricans moved to the US in hopes of a better life—particularly more employment and higher wages. Most moved to urban areas, particularly New York City, but also to cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Hartford, or Boston. In the 1920s, Puerto Rico still largely retained a rural, agricultural economy that began to decline in the era of growing industrialization and expanded capitalism in the US. Both men and women migrated. Families migrated with their children, but widowed women migrated with their children as well.
Puerto Rican women, due to language barriers and racism, often received the lowest ranking jobs. Most Puerto Rican women acquired work in the food service or garment industries. In 1955, Puerto Rican skirtmakers in New York City produced 83 million items. They worked long hours and received the lowest wages. Women who couldn't find work took jobs in the informal economy, helping to take care of other women’s children or helping with other women’s domestic chores.
By the 1950s, the Puerto Rican population in the US had increased dramatically. Average yearly migration of Puerto Ricans to the US was up to 1,800 from 191 in 1940 and increased to 45,000 between 1951 and 1960. Twenty percent of Puerto Rico’s population migrated to the US in the 1950s. By 1964, Puerto Ricans made up almost 10% of New York City’s population. Today, more Puerto Rican descendants live in the continental US than in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Ricans didn't assimilate like other immigrant groups, and retained their culture and language. US policymakers believed Puerto Ricans were having too many children and that they'd a poor work ethic. Women were seen as reproducing too much. Because they didn't stay in the home as women were expected to, Puerto Rican women were also considered inadequate mothers. Additionally, they were blamed for spreading immorality to their children and their larger community.
Such ideas supported the sterilization of Puerto Rican women. Puerto Rico has a higher rate of female sterilization than any other country in the world, a phenomenon that also occurred in the US. Beginning in the 1930s, U.S. officials declared an overpopulation of people in Puerto Rico. Instead of educating young women about contraceptives, doctors forced them to be sterilized. Many women had no idea that other options existed for them. The operations women were subjected to were often very dangerous and many women faced serious complications afterwards.
Culture
Puerto Rican culture is a mix of four cultures, African (from the slaves),
Taíno (Amerindians), Spanish, and more recently, North American. From Africans, the Puerto Ricans have obtained the "
bomba and
plena", a type of music and dance including percussions and
maracas. From the Amerindians (Taínos), they kept many names for their municipalities, foods, musical instruments like the
güiro and
maracas. Many words and other objects have originated from their localized language. From the Spanish they received the Spanish language, the Catholic religion and the vast majority of their cultural and moral values and traditions. From the United States they received the English language, the university system and a variety of hybrid cultural forms that developed between the U.S. mainland and the island of Puerto Rico. The
University of Puerto Rico was founded in 1903, five years after the island became part of the U.S.
Much of the Puerto Rican culture centers on the influence of
music. Like the country as a whole, Puerto Rican music has been developed by mixing other cultures with its own unique flavor. Early in the history of Puerto Rican music, the influences of African and Spanish traditions were most noticeable. However, the cultural movements across the
Caribbean and
North America have played a vital role in the more recent musical influences that have arrived to Puerto Rico.
The official symbols of Puerto Rico are the bird,
Reinita mora (
Spindalis portoricensis), the flower,
Flor de Maga (
Thespesia grandiflora), and the tree,
Ceiba or Kapok (
Ceiba pentandra). The unofficial animal and a symbol of Puerto Rican pride is the Coquí (
Eleutherodactylus coqui). Other popular symbols of Puerto Rico are the "
jíbaro", the "countryman", and the
carite.
Sports
Baseball is the most popular sport in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has its own professional baseball league which operates as a winter league. No
major league franchise or affiliate plays in Puerto Rico, however, San Juan hosted the
Montreal Expos for several series in 2003 and 2004 before they moved to
Washington, D.C. and became the
Washington Nationals. Puerto Rico has participated in the
World Cup of Baseball winning one gold (1951), four silver and four bronze medals and the
Caribbean Series, winning fourteen times. Famous Puerto Rican baseball players include
Roberto Clemente and
Orlando Cepeda, enshrined in the
Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 and 1999, respectively.
Boxing,
basketball, and
volleyball are considered popular sports as well. Puerto Rico has the third-most
boxing world champions and its the global leader in champions per capita. These include
Miguel Cotto,
Félix Trinidad,
Wilfred Benítez, and
Wilfredo Gómez. Secondary sports include
Professional wrestling,
association football and
road running. The
World Wrestling Council and
International Wrestling Association are the largest wrestling promotions in the main island. The
Puerto Rico Islanders Football Club, founded in 2003, plays in the
United Soccer Leagues First Division, which constitutes the second tier of football in
North America.
Puerto Rico is also a member of
FIFA and
CONCACAF. In
2008 the islands first unified league the
Puerto Rico Soccer League was established.
Puerto Rico has representation in all international competitions including the
Summer and
Winter Olympics, the
Pan American Games, the
Caribbean World Series, and the
Central American and Caribbean Games. Puerto Rican athletes have won 6 medals (1 silver, 5 bronze) in Olympic competition, the first one in 1948 by boxer
Juan Evangelista Venegas.
August 8,
2004, became a landmark date for the
National Basketball Team when it defeated the
United States in the
2004 Summer Olympics organized in
Athens,
Greece. On March 2006 San Juan's
Hiram Bithorn Stadium hosted the opening round as well as the second round of the newly formed
World Baseball Classic.
Education
Education in Puerto Rico is divided in three levels — Primary (elementary school grades 1-6), Secondary (intermediate and high school grades 7-12), and Higher Level (undergraduate and graduate studies). As of 2002, the literacy rate of the Puerto Rican population was 94.1%; by gender, it was 93.9% for males and 94.4% for females. According to the 2000 Census, 60.0% of the population attained a high school degree or higher level of education, and 18.3% has a bachelor's degree or higher. This ranks as worst and 6th worst, respectively, among US states, where the national averages are 80.4% and 24.4%.
Instruction at the primary school level is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 18 and is enforced by the state. The Constitution of Puerto Rico grants the right to an education to every citizen on the island. To this end, public schools in Puerto Rico provide free and non-sectarian education at the elementary and secondary levels. At any of the 3 level, students may attend either
public or
private schools. As of 1999, there were 1532 public schools and 569 private schools in the island.
The largest and oldest university system in Puerto Rico is the public
University of Puerto Rico (UPR) with 11 campus. The largest private university systems on the island are the
Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez which operates the
Universidad del Turabo,
Metropolitan University and
Universidad del Este, the multi-campus
Inter American University, the
Pontificial Catholic University, and the
Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. Puerto Rico has four schools of Medicine and four Law Schools.
Transportation
Cities and towns in Puerto Rico are interconnected by a system of roads,
freeways,
expressways, and
highways maintained by the Highways and Transportation Authority and patrolled by the
Police of Puerto Rico. The island's
metropolitan area is served by a
public bus transit system and a
metro system called
Tren Urbano (in English: Urban Train). Other forms of public transportation include sea-born ferries (that serve Puerto Rico's archipelago) as well as
Carros Públicos (Mini Bus), similar to
jitney service on the United States.
The island's main airport,
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, is located in
Carolina and is a major hub in the Caribbean. The most recently renovated airport in the west of Puerto Rico is that of the former Ramey Military airbase in Aguadilla,
Rafael Hernandez Airport, which has made it easier to explore the towns of the newly created tourism area known as "Porta del Sol." The main
port of the island is
San Juan Port.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico'.
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