(commonwealth associated with the US) GEOGRAPHY Total area: 9,104 km2; land area: 8,959 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island Land boundaries: none Coastline: 501 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 12 nm; Continental shelf: 200 m (depth); Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore crude oil Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 41%; forest and woodland 20%; other 22% Environment: many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north Note: important location between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands group 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 PEOPLE Population: 3,294,997 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991) Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Puerto Rican(s); adjective--Puerto Rican Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15% Language: Spanish (official); English is widely understood Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980) Labor force: 1,068,000; government 28%, manufacturing 15%, trade 14%, agriculture 3%, other 40% (1990) Organized labor: 115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the General Confederation of Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983) GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Type: commonwealth associated with the US Capital: San Juan Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with the US) Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US) Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952 National holiday: Constitution Day, 25 July (1952) Legal system: based on Spanish civil code Executive branch: US president, US vice president, governor Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989); Head of Government Governor Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (since 2 January 1989) Political parties and leaders: Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon; New Progressive Party (PNP), Carlos ROMERO Barcelo; Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan MARI Bras and Carlos GALLISA; Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections Elections: Governor--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results--Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar CORRADA Del Rio (PNP) 45.8%, Ruben BERRIOS Martinez (PIP) 5.5%; Senate--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2; US House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results--Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting representative Other political or pressure groups: all have engaged in terrorist activities--Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN), Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution, Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros), Armed Forces of Popular Resistance Member of: ECLAC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WFTU, WTO (associate) Diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the US) 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 US flag ECONOMY Overview: 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 US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. Important new industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, 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. The economy is slowly recovering from the disruptions caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. The tourism infrastructure was especially hard hit. GNP: $20.1 billion, per capita $6,100; real growth rate 3.6% (FY89) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.3% (October 1989-90) Unemployment rate: 14.9% (October 1990) Budget: revenues $5.5 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (FY89) Exports: $16.4 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities--pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments; partners--US 87% Imports: $14.0 billion (c.i.f., FY89); commodities--chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products; partners--US 60% External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate 1.6% (FY89) Electricity: 4,149,000 kW capacity; 14,844 million kWh produced, 4,510 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments; tourism Agriculture: accounts for 3% of labor force; crops--sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock--cattle, chickens; imports a large share of food needs Economic aid: none Currency: US currency is used Exchange rates: US currency is used Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 100 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger railroads Highways: 13,762 km paved Ports: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo Airports: 33 total; 23 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: 900,000 or 99% of total households with TV; 1,067,787 telephones (1988); stations--50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV (1990) DEFENSE FORCES Branches: paramilitary National Guard, Police Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 830,133; NA fit for military service Note: defense is the responsibility of the US