Natural hazards: periodic droughts; hurricanes
Environment - current issues: erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
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: 3,915,798 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (male 480,100; female 457,684) 15-64 years: 66% (male 1,234,065; female 1,336,848) 65 years and over: 10% (male 174,383; female 232,718) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.56% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 15.47 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 7.74 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)