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:
3,927,188 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.3% (male 428,610/female 409,484)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 1,239,255/female 1,345,519)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 218,045/female 286,275) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 34.7 years
male: 33 years
female: 36.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.4% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
12.77 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)