Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, also known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a territory or colony of the United States in the Caribbean Sea. It has almost 4 million (4,000,000) people. It is the 169th largest sized country in the world in amount of land. Its political system is based on a republican system. It has two languages: Spanish and English. The currency (money) used is the United States dollar. Puerto Rico means "rich port" in English.

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico includes the largest, main island and a number of smaller islands, including Mona, Vieques, and Culebra. Of those three smaller islands, only Culebra and Vieques are populated all year. Mona is unpopulated, but employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources sometimes visit the island to inspect it and its wildlife. People can visit the island for hiking and camping by getting the permission needed. San Juan, on the northern side of the main island, is the island's largest city and capital.

1 History of Puerto Rico
2 Geography
3 Political parties
4 References

[change] History of Puerto Rico

This is a painting of Christopher Columbus, the person who discovered Puerto Rico.

The history of Puerto Rico began when the Ortoiroid people started living in the island between 3000 and 2000 BC. Other tribes, for example the Saladoid and Arawak Indians, lived in the island between 430 BC and 1000 AD. When Christopher Columbus discovered the island in the New World in 1492 and named it San Juan Bautista,^[2] the people living there were the Taínos. ^[3] ^[4]

Since it can be found in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico formed an important part of the Spanish Empire from the early years of the exploration, conquest, and colonization of the New World. The island was a major military post during many wars between Spain and other European countries for control of the region in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

In 1898, during the Spanish–American war, Puerto Rico was invaded and became a possession of the United States. During the 20th century, Puerto Rico's political status changed from time to time. The Foraker Act of 1900 created a civil government to replace the military government made after the Spanish–American war, and the Jones Act of 1917 gave Puerto Rican people United States citizenship. Afterwards, in 1952, the drafting of Puerto Rico's own Constitution and democratic elections were established.

However, the political status of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth controlled by the United States, is still not completely defined. Many people want to resolve this status, while others want the status to remain the same. Of the people who want to change the status, some want Puerto Rico to become a new U.S. state, while others want Puerto Rico to become a fully independent country.

[change] Geography

Puerto Rico is an archipelago, with a main island where most of the population lives, two smaller islands (Vieques and Culebra) with residents, and many other smaller islands. The main island has a mountain range in the center, which covers most of the island. The highest point, called Cerro de Punta, is 4,390 feet (1,338 meters) high above sea level. Puerto Rico also has 17 man-made lakes and 50 rivers.

[change] Political parties

Puerto Rico has three principal political parties, the Independence Puerto Rican Party (socialdemocracy), New Progressive Party (PNP), and the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) that is the colonialist party.

[change] References

This article has text from the English Wikipedia articles Puerto Rico and History of Puerto Rico.

↑ CIA Factbook: India. CIA Factbook. Retrieved on 10 March 2007.
↑ The second voyage of Columbus. World Book, Inc.. Retrieved on 11 February 2006.
↑ Mahaffy, Cheryl (January 28, 2006). Vieques Island - What lies beneath. Edmonton Journal. Retrieved on 11 February 2006.
↑ Rouse, Irving. The Tainos : Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus ISBN 0-300-05696-6.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Puerto Rico

v • d • e Countries and territories of North America
Independent	Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · United States
Governed by other countries	Anguilla · Aruba · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Greenland · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Montserrat · Navassa Island · Netherlands Antilles · Puerto Rico · Saint-Pierre and Miquelon · Turks and Caicos Islands · U.S. Virgin Islands

v • d • e Countries and territories in the Caribbean (West Indies)
Independent Countries	Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Grenada · Haiti · Jamaica · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago
Governed by other countries	Anguilla · Aruba · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Montserrat · Navassa Island · Netherlands Antilles · Puerto Rico · Turks and Caicos Islands · U.S. Virgin Islands

v • d • e Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas¹ · Barbados · Belize · Dominica · Grenada · Guyana · Haiti · Jamaica · Montserrat · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago
Associate members	Anguilla · Bermuda · Cayman Islands · British Virgin Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands
Observer countries	Aruba · Colombia · Dominican Republic · Mexico · Netherlands Antilles · Puerto Rico · Venezuela
¹ Member of the community but not the Caribbean (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy.

Category: Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change

Contents

[change] History of Puerto Rico

[change] Geography

[change] Political parties

[change] References

Views

Getting around

Search

In other languages