Branches:
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard,
Fiscal Guard, Public Security Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,723,987; fit for military service 2,207,637; reach
military age (20) annually 89,380 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $2.1 billion, 2.9% of GDP (1993)
@Puerto Rico
Header Affiliation: (commonwealth associated with the US)
@Puerto Rico, Geography
Location:
Caribbean, in the North Caribbean Sea, between the Dominican Republic
and the Virgin Islands group
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
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
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
501 km
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
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains
precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal
areas
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%
Irrigated land:
390 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
NA
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
@Puerto Rico, People
Population: 3,801,977 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 0.13% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 16.5 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 7.93 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: -7.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.95 years male: 70.42 years female: 77.65 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Puerto Rican(s) adjective: Puerto Rican Ethnic divisions: Hispanic Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15% Languages: Spanish (official), English widely understood Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% Labor force: 1.17 million (1992) by occupation: government 20%, manufacturing 14%, trade 17%, construction 5%, communications and transportation 5%, other 39% (1992)
@Puerto Rico, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form:
Puerto Rico
Digraph:
RQ
Type:
commonwealth associated with the US
Capital:
San Juan
Administrative divisions:
none (commonwealth associated with the US), note: there are 78
municipalities
Independence:
none (commonwealth associated with the US)
National holiday:
US Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution:
ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective
25 July 1952
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil code
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but
do not vote in US presidential elections
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%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Legislative Assembly
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
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
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
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
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
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:
CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU,
INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (commonwealth associated with the US)
US 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
@Puerto Rico, Economy