El Yunque

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 |
Location: | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of theDominican Republic |
Geographic coordinates: | 18 15 N, 66 30 W |
Area: | total: 13,790 sq km land: 8,870 sq km water: 4,921 sq km

Size comparison: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island |
Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
Coastline: | 501 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate: | tropical marine, mild; littleseasonal temperature variation |
Terrain: | mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,339 m |
Natural resources: | some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil |
Land use: | arable land: 3.69%permanent crops: 5.59% other: 90.72% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 400 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | periodic droughts; hurricanes |
Current Environment Issues: | erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages |
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 People |
Population: | 3,966,213 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 128 |
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 19.9% (male 404,635/female386,733) 15-64 years: 66% (male 1,260,114/female 1,361,193) 65 years and over: 14.1% (male 240,318/female 318,027) (2009 est.) |
Median age: | total: 36.2 years male: 34.5 years female: 37.9 years (2009 est.) |
Population growth rate: | 0.298% (2009 est.) |
Birth rate: | 11.72 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
Death rate: | 7.78 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) |
Netmigration rate: | -0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: | total: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.37 deaths/1,000 livebirths (2009 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 78.52 years male: 74.86 years female: 82.36 years (2009 est.) |
Total fertility rate: | 1.65 children born/woman (2009 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 7,397 (1997) |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
Nationality: | noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens) adjective: PuertoRican |
Ethnic groups: | white (mostly Spanish origin) 76.2%, black 6.9%, Asian 0.3%, Amerindian 0.2%, mixed 4.4%, other 12% (2007) |
Religions: | Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% |
Languages: | Spanish, English |
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.1% male: 93.9% female: 94.4% (2002 est.) |
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 Government |Country name: | conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conventional short form: Puerto Rico |
Government type: | commonwealth |
Capital: | name: San Juan geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Administrative divisions: | none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no first-orderadministrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo,...