Puerto rico

COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 1,000 mi east-southeast of Miami, Fla. A possession of the United States, it consists of the island of Puerto Rico plus the adjacent islets of Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. Puerto Rico has a mountainous, tropical ecosystem with very little flat land and few mineral resources.
COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTORICO
Status: Commonwealth
Governor: Aníbal Acevedo Vilá (2005)
Capital and largest city (2002 est.): San Juan, 433,412
Other large cities: Bayamón, 224,670; Ponce, 186,112; Carolina, 187,468
Land area: 3,459 sq mi (8,959 sq km); total area: 3,515 sq mi (9,104 sq km)
Population (2010 est.): 3,977,663 (growth rate: 0.3%); birth rate: 11.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 8.2/1000; life expectancy:78.6; density per sq mi: 1,135. Monetary unit: U.S. dollar
Languages: Spanish and English (both official)
Ethnicity/race: white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
Literacy rate: 94.1% (2002)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2009 est.): $68.14 billion; per capita $17,200 Real growthrate: –3.9%. Inflation: 6.5% (2003 est.). Unemployment: 12% (2002). Arable land: 4%. Agriculture: sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens. Labor force: 1.3 million (2000); agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.). Industries: pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism. Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential foronshore and offshore oil. Exports: $46.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001): chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment. Imports: $29.1 billion (c.i.f., 2001): chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products. Major trading partners: U.S., UK, Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Japan (2004).
Communications: Telephones: main linesin use: 1.038 million (2005); mobile cellular: 3.354 million (2005). Radio broadcast stations: AM 74, FM 53, shortwave 0 (2005). Radios: 2.7 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 32 (2006). Televisions: 1.021 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 413 (2007). Internet users: 915,600 (2005).
Transportation: Railways: total: 96 km (2006). Highways: total: 25,735 km paved:24,353 km (includes 427 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,382 km (2005). Ports and harbors: Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Playa de Ponce, San Juan. Airports: 29 (2007).
International disputes: none.

Read more: Puerto Rico: History, Geography, Government, and Culture — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0113949.html#ixzz1Ay3vDrOy

Geography of Puerto Rico

The Antilles
Puerto Rico islocated in the archipelago of the Antilles. The Antilles is a chain of islands that stretch more than 1500 miles starting from Florida (USA) to Venezuela (South America). They enclose the Caribbean sea. To the north and east is the Atlantic Ocean.

The Antilles is divided into two, the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles. Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica together with the island of Hispanola (Haitiand the Dominican Republic) make up the Greater Antilles. These are the largest islands of the Antilles, Puerto Rico being the smallest of the four. The Lesser Antilles, located east and southeast of Puerto Rico, are made up of dozens of smaller islands, just to mention a few, the Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Barbados and Trinidad. Cultural and political diversityis typical throughout the region.
Geographical Areas of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is divided into three geographical areas:
* Central Interior Mountain Ranges
* Northern Karst
* Coastal Plains
Central Interior Mountain Ranges
This area covers most of the island of Puerto Rico. It includes the interior mountains, hills, mountain sides, and low areas within the mountains. These...