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: occasional drought has caused water levels in reservoirs to drop and has prompted water rationing
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: 3,857,070 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (male 483,268; female 461,632) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,206,385; female 1,310,406) 65 years and over: 11% (male 171,889; female 223,490) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.68% (1998 est.)