Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 5% other: 91% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 400 sq km (1998 est.)
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
People Puerto Rico
Population: 3,957,988 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.5% (male 476,726; female 453,782) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,249,850; female 1,353,438) 65 years and over: 10.7% (male 180,053; female 244,139) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.51% (2002 est.)