Puerto Rico
Official
name:
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (Estado Libre
Asociado de Puerto Rico).
Digraph: PR/QR
Type:
Commonwealth associated with the US. The island's inhabitants
possess all the rights and obligations of United States
citizens, except for the right to vote in presidential elections and the
obligation to pay federal taxes.
Interesting
Fact:
The
term 'United States'
when used in a geographical sense on official documents, acts and/or laws;
includes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
The U.S.
has twelve unincorporated territories, also known as possessions, and two
commonwealths. The major possessions are American Samoa,
Guam, and the U.S. Virigin Islands. All of
these have a non-voting representative in the US Congress. The major
commonwealths are Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas.
Commonwealths have their own constitutions and greater autonomy than
possessions, and Guam is currently in the
process of moving from the status of unincorporated territory to commonwealth.
The residents of all of these places are full U.S.
citizens, with the exception of those on American
Samoa who are U.S.nationals, but not citizens.
Total Area: 3,515 sq mi (9,104 sq
km or 100 by 35 miles).
Land Area: 8,959 sq km
Borders: Puerto Rico is under
the U.S.
customs jurisdiction . Borders
are open between P.R. and the U.S.,
allowing for free movement of people and merchandise.
Capital: San Juan (founded in 1508, by Juan Ponce de
León).
Major Cities: Ponce,
Caguas, Mayagüez,
Bayamón, Carolina,
Arecibo, Guaynabo,
Cayey, Aguadilla,
and Fajardo.
Most Popular City Destinations: San Juan, Ponce,
Mayagüez, Bayamón, Fajardo, San Germán Cayey, and Caguas.
Native language:
Spanish and English are the official languages.
English is spoken for about 1/4 of the population-with limited capabilities . English is required in all federal
matters. English is spoken in all major tourist areas (%80 Spanish, %20 other).
Interesting
Facts:
Language
has been a central issue in Puerto Rican education and culture since 1898.
Until 1930 U.S. authorities
insisted upon making English the language of
instruction in the schools, the intent being to produce English-speaking
persons of American culture in the same way this is done in the United States
public schools. But strong resistance to the policy finally brought a change to
the use of Spanish as the basic school language, English becoming a second
language studied by all. In 1991 the Puerto Rican legislature, following the
lead of the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party and the governor, Rafael
Hernández Colon, endorsed a bill
that made Spanish the island's official language, thus reversing a 1902 law
that gave both Spanish and English official recognition .
In 1993 the pro-statehood governor, Pedro J. Rossello, signed legislation
restoring equal status to Spanish and English.
Note:
Puerto Rico is a territory
(Commonwealth) of the United
States of America and they have common
citizenship, currency and defense. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, residents of Puerto
Rico pay no federal income tax (but neither can they vote in
presidential elections). Over 2 million Puerto Ricans live in the United States,
primarily in the northeast.
Interesting
Fact:
Puerto
Ricans consider themselves American but are fiercely
proud of their island and their culture.
Flag :
Five equal horizontal bands of red (top and
bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist
side bears a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the
Cuban flag.
Population: 3,828,506 (July 1997
est.)
Interesting
Fact:
Puerto
Rico's population density of 1,100 people per square miles is among
the world's highest - only Bangladesh,
The Maldives, Barbados, Taiwan, South
Korea and the city-states of Hong Kong and Singapore are
more crowded.
People:
The 3.580
million people that inhabit the island
of Puerto Rico make it
one of the most densely populated islands in the world. There are
about 1,000 people per square mile, a ratio higher than within any of the 50 states in
the United States.
It is estimated that some 2 million Puerto Ricans have
migrated to the United
States. Had these people remained in Puerto Rico, the island would be so densely populated
that there would be virtually no room for people to live. Because of the
massive migration to the mainland, more Puerto Ricans are said to live in New York City than in San Juan. In recent years, many Puerto Ricans
have returned to their island home, in large part because of inadequate
economic opportunity in the United
States.
On the island, one-third of the population is concentrated in the
San Juan/Carolina/Bayamón metropolitan area. When the United States
acquired the island in 1898, most Puerto Ricans
worked in agriculture, but today, most jobs are industrial and are situated in
the metropolitan areas.
The people of Puerto Rico
represent a cultural and racial mix. When the Spanish forced the Taíno people
into slavery, the entire indigenous population was virtually decimated, except
for a few Amerindians who escaped into the remote
mountains. Eventually they inter-married with the poor Spanish farmers and
became known as jíbaros. Because of industrialization and migration to the
cities, few jíbaros remain.
Besides the slaves imported from Africa (Sudan, Kongo, Senegal,
Guinea, Sierra Leona, and the Gold, Ivory, and Grain coasts), other ethnic
groups brought to work on the plantations joined the island's racial mix.
Fleeing Simón Bolívar's independence movements in South America, Spanish
loyalists fled to Puerto Rico - a fiercely
conservative Spanish colony during the early 1800s. French families also
flocked
here from both Louisiana and Haiti. As
changing governments or violent revolutions depressed the economies of Scotland and Ireland,
many farmers from those countries also journeyed to Puerto
Rico in search of a better life.
During the mid-19th century, labor was needed to build roads.
Initially , Chinese workers were imported for this
task, followed by workers from such countries as Italy,
France, Germany, and even Lebanon. American expatriates
came to the island after 1898. Long after Spain
had lost control of Puerto Rico, Spanish
immigrants continued to arrive on the island. The most significant new
immigrant population arrived in the 1960s, when thousands of Cubans fled from
Fidel Castro's Communist state. The latest arrivals to Puerto Rico have come
from the economically depressed Dominican
Republic.
Education:
Education is a matter of high priority for Puerto
Rico, it is evident in the island's overall literacy rate of 90
percent and its budget for education, approximately 40 percent. Education is
obligatory between 6 to 17 years old. Primary school
consists of six grades; the secondary levels is divided into 2 cycles of 3
years each.
The school system is administered by the Department of Education
and has several levels of learning. The language used in the schools is
Spanish, however, English is taught from kindergarten to high school as part of
the school curriculum .
Puerto Rico has more than 50 institutions of higher education. Puerto Rico has achieved one of the highest college
education rates in the world (6th) with 56% of its college-age students
attending institutions of higher learning, according
to World Bank data.
Religion:
The
Constitution guarantees freedom for all faiths. The major religions are:
Catholic (85%), Protestants (8%), non religious (2.3%), and others (3%). Some
islanders ascribe to spiritualism (espiritismo), and others practice Santeria,
an Afro-Caribbean belief system brought to Puerto Rico from Cuba. There is
also a small Jewish community.
History:
|
XV
century
|
Taino
Indians who inhabited the territory, called the island Boriken or Borinquen
which means: 'the great land of the valiant and noble Lord. Today this
word -used in various modifications- is still popularly used to designate
the people and island
of Puerto Rico. The
Taino Indians , who came from South America, inhabited the major portion of the
island when the Spaniards arrived.
|
|
Christopher
Columbus discovered the island in his second voyage to the New
World (Nov. 19). He found the island populated by as many as
60,000 Taino or Arawak Indians. The Taíno Indians who greeted Columbus made a big
mistake when they showed him gold nuggets in the river and told him to take
all he wanted. Originally the newcomers called the island 'San Juan', for St. John
the Baptist and the town Puerto Rico.
It was not until later that the two names were switched. Thanks in part to
the enthusiasm of ambitious Juan Ponce de León, a lieutenant to Columbus, the city of Puerto Rico
('rich port') quickly became Spain's
most important military outpost in the Caribbean.
|
|
Spanish
colonization begins.
|
|
The Taíno
Indians revolt against Spaniards with no success. Ponce de León orders 6,000
shot; survivors flee to mountains or leave island.
|
|
The
Burgos Law was issued on Dec 27, by Ferdinand II, the Catholic, of Aragon,
regulated relations between Spaniards and the conquered Indians, particularly
to ensure the spiritual and material welfare of the latter ,
who were often severely treated. (December 27)
|
|
African
Slaves were introduced into the island. (January 27)
Caribe Indians attacked San Juan.
|
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King
Carlos V authorized the importation of 4,000 slaves to the Caribbean.
|
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Concerned
about potential threats from European enemies, Spain began constructing massive defenses
around San Juan.
El Morro Castle featured 18-foot-thick walls; San Cristóbal and San Geronimo Forts also
garrisoned troops. Next the Spaniards constructed a wall, parts of which
still survive, around the entire city. Government
Center was moved to the isle of San Juan. The ever
arriving Spaniards settlers, many of them gold-seekers, brought no women on
their ships. To populate the country, the Spaniard took Indian woman. With
the arrival of African slaves, other elements were added. This historic
intermingling has resulted in a contemporary Puerto Rico
without racial problems.
|
|
Sugar
became the most important agricultural product.
|
|
In 1803, Denmark abolished the slave trade, and Britain followed in 1807, France in 1817, Holland
in 1818, Spain in 1820,
and Sweden
in 1824. Slavery itself was finally abolished in the British colonies in
1833, in the French colonies in 1848, and in the Dutch colonies in 1863; it
was abolished in the Spanish colonies of Puerto Rico in 1873 and Cuba in 1880.
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Puerto Rico reachs a
population of 656,328; its population recorded as 346,437 whites and 309,891
'of color' (this category included blacks, mulattos and mestizos).
The majority of Puerto Ricans lived in extreme poverty. Agriculture, the main
source of income, was limited by lack of roads, rudimentary
tools and equipment, and natural disasters, such as hurricanes and periods of
drought . While illiteracy
was 83.7 percent, the intellectual minority remained
relatively active within the limitations imposed
by local Spanish authorities.
|
|
Several
hundred women and men revolted against Spain for Puerto Rican independence,
the event took place in Lares and is better known as the Cry of Lares
('Grito de Lares'). The most important figures in the uprising were
Manuel Rojas, Mathias Bruckman, Joaquín Parilla, and Francisco Ramírez. The
main leader was Ramón Betances but he was not given permission to enter the
island. Manuel Rojas plantation in the town of Lares
became the headquarters for like-minded revolutionaries who would push for a
split from Spain.
(September 23) The rebellion was planned by a group, led by Dr. Ramón Emeterio
Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis, who in January 6, 1868 founded the
'Comité Revolucionario de Puerto Rico' (Revolutionary Committee of
Puerto Rico) from their exile in the Dominican Republic.
|
|
The
'Carta Autonómica' was approved in which Spain concedes
political and administrative autonomy to the island. It allowed the island to
retain its representation in the Spanish Cortes,
and provided for a bicameral legislature. This legislature consisted of a
Council of Administration with eight elected and seven appointed
members, and a Chamber of Representatives with one member for every 25,000
inhabitants. (November)
|
|
On July
18, General Nelson A. Miles, commander of the invading forces, received
orders to sail for Puerto Rico.
On July, 25 General Nelson Miles came ashore with the first contingent of 16,000
American troops, landed unopposed at the town of Guánica in the South of Puerto Rico. Upon
arrival, the ship met with Spanish resistance the morning of August 26. By
August, the whole island was practically invaded.
Spanish-American War, conflict between the United
States and Spain
that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas
and resulted in U.S.
acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and
Latin American. (August 8)
Peace protocols were signed in Washington,
D.C. on August 12, 1898.
The island was turned over to the U.S forces, and General John R. Brooke
became military governor. (October 18)
On December 10, Treary of Paris was signed (ratified by the U.S. Senate Feb.
6, 1899), treaty concluding the Spanish-American War. The
American peace commission consisted of William R. Day, Sen. Cushman K. Davis,
Sen. William P. Frye, Sen. George Gray, and the Honorable Whitelaw Reid. The
Spanish commission was headed by Don Eugenio Montero Rios, the President of
the Senate. Jules Cambon, a French diplomat, also negotiated
on Spain's
behalf . Spain
renounced all claim to Cuba,
ceded
Guam and Puerto Rico to United States,
and transferred sovereignty over the Phillipines to the United States
for $20,000,000
|
|
President
Theodore Roosevelt leaves Washington D.C. for a 17 day trip to Panama and
Puerto Rico, becoming the first president to make an official visit outside
of the U.S. (Nov. 6)
During a visit to Puerto Rico, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt addressed
the Puerto Rican Congress and recommended that Puerto Ricans become United
States citizens.
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|
A
delegation from Puerto Rico, accompanied by the Gov. Arthur Yager, traveled
to Washington
in order to ask Congress to grant the island more autonomy.
|
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The Jones
Act was approved , with this law: (Dec. 5)
Puerto Rico becomes U.S.
territory.
U.S. nationalizes all Puerto Ricans as a citizens and allows
Puerto Ricans to elect their legislature. (300 rejected the citizenship and
many others refused to join the army.) Amended in 1921, 1927, 1928, 1931,
1935, 1938, 1940, 1947.
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|
President
Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones Act. Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States 'organized but
unincorporated,' and it gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship and a bill of
rights and also established a locally elected Senate and House of
Representatives. However, the Foraker Act still determined
economic and fiscal aspects of government. (March 2)
The first elections under Jones Act were celebrated. (July 6)
20,000 islanders are drafted into World War I.
The Organic Act was approved. This gave the island a legislature (19
senators, 39 representatives) elected freely by the Puerto Rican people.
|
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The
Congress of United States approved a law to change back the name of the
island Porto Rico, to its original name, Puerto Rico.
(May 17)
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President
Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Puerto Rican Reconstruction
Administration, which provided for agricultural development, public works,
and electrification of the island.
|
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The
United States Congress grants U.S. Citizenship to Puerto Rican Natives.
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United States began to establishes military bases in the islands of
Culebra and Vieques.
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Puerto
Ricans began to emigrate to United
States. Looking for job and better
economic situation.
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The first
governor is elected by the Puerto Ricans. Luis Muñoz Marin is elected.
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The New
Constitution is approved by voters, and Puerto Rico is proclaimed
as Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico. (July
25)
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Law
Number 1 of 1993 declares English and Spanish as the official languages of Puerto Rico. In the Referendum, Commonwealth status was
reaffirmed by voters.
Statehood. 788,296
(46.3%)
Commonwealth.826,326
(48.6%)
Independence
Nulls 10,748
(00.7%)
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Culture:
Puerto Rican culture is somewhat complex, colorful. Culture is a series of visual
manifestations and interactions with the environment
that make a region and/or a group of people different from the rest of the
world. Puerto Rico, without a doubt has
several unique characteristics that distinguish their culture from any other.
Lets
consider that the people of Puerto Rico
represent a cultural and racial mix. During the early 18-century, the Spaniard
in order to populate the country took Taino Indian woman as brides .
Later on as labor was needed to maintain crops, and build roads. African slaves were
initially imported, shortly followed by the importation of Chinese immigrants,
then continued with the arrival of Italians, French, German, and even
Lebanonize people. American expatriates came to the island after 1898. Long
after Spain had lost control
of Puerto Rico, Spanish immigrants continued
to arrive on the island. The most significant new immigrant population arrived
in the 1960s, when thousands of Cubans fled from Fidel Castro's Communist
state. The latest arrivals to Puerto Rico have come from the economically
depressed Dominican Republic.
This historic intermingling has resulted in a contemporary Puerto
Rico without racial problems.
Economy:
Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. Industry has surpassed
agriculture as the primary sector of economic activity and income. Encouraged
by duty free access to the U.S.
and by tax incentives , U.S.
firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s (U.S. minimum
wage laws apply). Recently the economy has suffered budget cuts from U.S.
The economy depends heavily on the tax incentives (known as
Section 936) given to US mainland companies and on federal transfers. In 1993,
President Clinton aimed to cut the Section 936 tax exemption for U.S. companies and introduced legislation to
Congress to replace it with a more modest tax credit linked to wages paid by those
companies in Puerto Rico rather than to
profits. It is estimated that 100,000 Puerto Ricans are employed by companies
operating under Section 936 (of which 23,000 are in pharmaceuticals) and
another 200,000 are indirectly employed. On the other hand, the agreement
between the USA, Canada and Mexico
for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) also has implications
for Puerto Rico because of competition for
jobs and investment. Although wage levels are lower in Mexico, Section 936 gives companies in Puerto Rico an advantage in pharmaceuticals and hi-tec
industries. In low-skill labour-intensive manufacturing, such as clothing and
footwear, Mexico
has the advantage. Puerto Rico currently
employs 30,000 in the clothing industry.
Important
industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemical, and
processed foods. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other
livestock products as the main source of income in
the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of
income for the island, with estimated arrivals of nearly 3.9 million tourists
in 1993. The main government expenditures are on health, education, and welfare.
Industries:
Manufacturing
accounts for 55.5% of GDP: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, chemicals,
machinery, electronics, apparel , food products, instrument, textiles,
clothing, and tourism.
Tourism:
Receipts
from visitors: U.S.$1,826,100,000 (1995)
Expenditures
by national abroad: U.S.$833,000,000 (1995)
Agriculture:
Accounts
for only 3% of labor force and less than 1% of GDP - crops - sugar cane ,
coffee, milk, eggs, fruits (pineapples, plantains, bananas), vegetables;
livestock - cattle, chickens, pork; imports a large share of food needs (1993).
Interesting Facts:
Migration has played a large role in social and economic changes
since the 1950s. In the 1950s and 1960s, the government encouraged a massive
migration of poor agricultural workers to the east coast of the US to help
create a predominantly industrial economy. The number of Puerto
Ricans is now about equal to the island's population.
Puerto Ricans are another immigrant group that has had a
significant impact on the economy and culture of New York since World War
II. Several hundred thousand reside in the state, mostly in New York City. After a heavy immigration of
Puerto Ricans during the 1950s and early 60's, the growing economic strength of
Puerto Rico led to a considerable reduction , with those entering the state being
largely offset by those returning to Puerto Rico.
Some of the best-educated young people leave because of better
opportunities and labor conditions on the mainland.
Statistics
show that it has some of the most favorable economic conditions in the
Caribbean and Latin American, but in comparison with the United States, Puerto Rico is still below that
of the poorest state in the mainland, Mississippi.
Government:
Puerto Rico is a self-governing commonwealth in association with
the United States.
Puerto Rico has authority over its internal
affairs. United States controls: interstate trade, foreign relations and
commerce, customs administration, control of air, land and sea, immigration and
emigration, nationality and citizenship, currency, maritime laws, military
service, military bases, army navy and air force, declaration of war,
constitutionality of laws, jurisdictions and legal procedures, treaties, radio
and television--communications, agriculture, mining and minerals, highways,
postal system; social security, and other areas generally controlled by the
federal government in the United States. Puerto Rican institutions control
internal affairs unless U.S.
law is involved, as in matters of public health and pollution. The major
differences between Puerto Rico and the 50
states are its local taxation system and exemption
from Internal Revenue Code, its lack of voting representation in either house
of the U.S. Congress, the ineligibility of Puerto Ricans to vote in
presidential elections, and its lack of assignation of some revenues reserved
for the states.
The Executive Power is exercised by the Governor, who leads a
cabinet conformed by 15 ministers. The Governor is elected by statewide
elections every four years. The secretary of state succeeds the governor should
the latter resign, die, or be removed from office. The governor, with the
consent of the legislature, appoints the heads of the commonwealth's executive
departments. The Legislative Power resides in the Senate and in the Chamber of
Representatives. The Senate consists of 27 members, 2 per electoral district,
and 11 elected according to the different districts proportion of population.
The Chamber of Representatives consists of 53 members, one per electoral
district and 11 elected proportionally. Legislators are popularly elected to
four-year terms. The bicameral legislature
determines how to spends the island's tax revenue. Unless specifically stated,
Puerto Rico is also subject to all laws and most regulations of the U.S.
government, which sometimes cause jurisdictional problems. Most U.S. agencies
are represented on the island.
The Judicial System is directed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme
Court is formed by 7 judges (a chief justice and six associate justices) named
by the Governor. The structure of the Judicial System includes a Court of
Appeals, Superior Court, a District Court(civil & criminal), and Municipal
Court. There are 12 judicial districts
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico also has a district court
comparable to those of the states of US. Each district court has at least one
district judge and can have more than a score of district judges, as well as a
clerk, a United States Attorney, a United States Marshall, one or more United
States Magistrates, bankruptcy judges, probation officers, court reporters, and
their staffs .
President: Bill Clinton
Vice
President: Al Gore
Governor: Pedro Rosello
Government Form:
Republican; executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Ruling Party: New Progressive Party
(NPP).
Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by U.S.
Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952.
Suffrage: 18 years of age;
universal.
Voter Participation:
over 80% (1996 general elections)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June.
Legal system: Puerto Rican civil and
commercial codes are fashioned after Spanish models; penal ,
procedural , and public (including constitutional) law
are fashioned after U.S.
models.
