Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
Natural resources: some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore oil
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops : 5% permanent pastures: 26% forests and woodland: 16% other: 49% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 390 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: the recent drought has caused water levels in reservoirs to drop and prompted water rationing for more than one-half of the population
Environment - international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
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
@Puerto Rico:People
Population: 3,828,506 (July 1997 est.)