Puerto Rico

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{{Infobox_Country|common_name = Puerto Rico |native_name = Estado Libre Asociado
de Puerto Rico

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico|image_flag = Flag of Puerto Rico.svg|image_coat = Escudo de Puerto Rico.jpg|symbol_type = Coat of arms |image_map = LocationPuertoRico.png |national_motto = Latin: Joannes Est Nomen Eius
Spanish language: Juan es su nombre
(English language: "List of U.S. state mottos") |national_anthem = "La Borinqueña" ] and English language|demonym = Puerto Rican |capital = San Juan, Puerto Rico |largest_city = San Juan, Puerto Rico |government_type = Commonwealth ] |leader_name1 = Aníbal Acevedo Vilá -->|area_rank=169th|area_magnitude=1 E9|percent_water=1.6|population_estimate =3,994,259|population_estimate_year=July 2007 |population_estimate_rank=127th |population_density_km2 = 438|population_density_sq_mi = 1,115 |sovereignty_note = None (Self governing with an association as a Commonwealth with the United States CIA - Constitution of PR - Puerto Rico) |HDI_year = n/a|HDI = |HDI_rank = not ranked |HDI_category =|currency = United States dollar|utc_offset =-4|time_zone_DST = No DST |utc_offset_DST=-4|cctld = [.pr|calling_code = 1|calling_code_note = spec. [Area code 787 and Area code 939|footnotes = |-->Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (, International Phonetic Alphabet ), is a self governing unincorporated territory of the United States with Commonwealth (United States insular area) status. Government of Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands; approximately 1,280 miles (2,000 km) off the coast of Florida (the nearest of the mainland United States). The archipelago of Puerto Rico includes the main island of Puerto Rico, the smallest of the Greater Antilles, and a number of smaller islands and archipelagos, the largest of which are Mona, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Culebra, Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans sometimes refer to their island as Borikén, or the Spanish language variant Borinquen, a name for the island used by Indigenous (ecology) Taíno people. The current term boricua derives from the Taíno name for the island, and is commonly used to identify oneself as Puerto Rican.

Even though all people born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens, the nature of Puerto Rico's political relationship with the United States is the subject of ongoing debate on the island, in the United States Congress, and in the United Nations.{{cite web], 2005, [2006 [organized territory of the United States, subject to the plenary powers of the U.S. Congress and with the right to establish a constitution for the internal administration of government and on matters of purely local concern.

History Pre-Columbian era The history of the island of Puerto Rico (Spanish for "rich port") before the arrival of Christopher Columbus is not well understood. What is known today comes from findings and from early Spanish accounts. The first comprehensive book on the history of Puerto Rico was written by Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra in 1786, 293 years after the first Spanish people arrived on the island.Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra. Historia Geográfica, Civil y Natural de la Isla de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico.

The first indigenous settlers of Puerto Rico were the Ortoiroid people, an Archaic age culture. An archaeological dig in the island of Vieques in 1990 found the remains of what is believed to be an Arcaico (Archaic) man (named Puerto Ferro man) which was dated to around 2000 BC. Vieques Island - What lies beneath. Between AD 120 and 400, the Igneri, a tribe from the Orinoco region, arrived on the island. Brief Chronology of Puerto Rico. Between the 7th and 11th century the Taíno culture developed on the island and, by approximately AD 1000, the Taíno culture had become dominant, a trend that lasted until the Spanish arrived in 1493.

Spanish colony When Christopher Columbus arrived at Puerto Rico during his second voyage on November 19, 1493, the island was inhabited by a group of Arawak Amerindian known as Taínos. The Taínos called the island "Borikén" or "Borinquen". Presently, Puerto Ricans are also known as Boricuas, or people from Borinquen. Columbus named the island San Juan Bautista, in honor of Saint John the Baptist. Later the island took the name of Puerto Rico () while the capital was named San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1508, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León became the island's List of Governors of Puerto Rico to take office.Vicente Yáñez Pinzón was the first appointed governor but he never arrived on the island.

The island was soon colonized by the Spanish. Taínos were forced to work for the Spanish crown but were decimated by diseases brought by the Spaniards and the harsh conditions in which they were forced to work. African slaves were introduced as labor to replace the decreasing populations of Taíno. Puerto Rico soon became an important stronghold and port for the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean, gaining the title of "La Llave de las Americas" (The Key of the Americas). Colonial emphasis during the late 17th - 18th centuries, however, focused on the more prosperous mainland territories, leaving the island impoverished of settlers. A prominent resident of this early period was Bernardo de Balbuena, Bishop of Puerto Rico, who wrote Baroque poetry extolling the beauty of the New World, especially Mexico. Many of his manuscripts were burned by Dutch pirates when they sacked the island in 1625.

at Fort San Felipe del MorroBecause of concerns of threats from European enemies, over the centuries various forts and walls, such as La Fortaleza, Fort San Felipe del Morro and Fort San Cristóbal, were built to protect the port of San Juan. The France, The Netherlands and England made several attempts to capture Puerto Rico but failed to wrest long-term occupancy of the island.

In 1809, while Napoleon I of France occupied the majority of the Iberian peninsula, a populist assembly based in Cádiz recognized Puerto Rico as an overseas province of Spain with the right to send representatives to the Spanish Court. The representative Ramon Power y Giralt died soon after arriving in Spain. These constitutional reforms were reversed when autocratic monarchy was restored. Nineteenth century reforms augmented the population and economy, and expanded the local character of the island. After the rapid gains of independence by the South and Central American states in the first part of the century, Puerto Rico and Cuba became the sole New World remnants of the large Spanish empire.

Toward the end of the 19th century, poverty and political estrangement with Spain led to a small but significant uprising in 1868 known as "Grito de Lares". The uprising was easily and quickly crushed. Leaders of this independence movement included Ramón Emeterio Betances, considered the "father" of the Puerto Rican nation, and other political figures such as Segundo Ruiz Belvis. Later, another political stronghold was the autonomist movement originated by Román Baldorioty de Castro and, toward the end of the century, by Luis Muñoz Rivera. In 1897, Muñoz Rivera and others persuaded the liberal Spanish government to agree to a Charters of Autonomy for Cuba and Puerto Rico.

The following year in 1897, Puerto Rico's first, but short-lived, autonomous government was organized as an 'overseas province' of Spain. The charter maintained a governor appointed by Spain, who held the power to annul any legislative decision he disagreed with, and a partially elected parliamentary structure.In February of 1898, Governor General Manuel Macías inaugurated the new government under the Autonomous Charter, this gave town councils complete autonomy in local matters. Subsequently, the governor had no authority to intervene in civil and political matters unless authorized to do so by the Cabinet.General elections were held in March and on July 17,1898.Puerto Rico's autonomous government began to function, but not for long. USA Seizes Puerto Rico{{cite web|title=History|publisher=topuertorico.org|url=http://www.topuertorico.org/history4.shtml|accessdate=2007-10-01--> Chronology of Puerto Rico in the Spanish-American War

Puerto Rico under United States sovereignty On July 25, 1898 at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico was invaded by the United States with a landing at Guánica, Puerto Rico. Following the outcome of the war, Spain was forced to cede Puerto Rico, along with Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam to the United States under the Treaty of Paris (1898). Treaty of Paris (1898) Puerto Rico began the twentieth century under the military rule of the United States with officials, including the governor, appointed by the President of the United States. The Foraker Act of 1900 had given Puerto Rico a certain amount of popular government including a popularly-elected House of Representatives. By 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans - a status they still hold today - and provided for a popularly-elected Senate to complete a bicameral elected Legislative Assembly. Until the first gubernatorial election in 1948, the Presidency of the Senate and the Resident Commissioner seat in Congress were held by Puerto Rico's top politicians. Many Puerto Ricans served in the U.S. Armed Forces beginning in World War I. Natural disasters and the Great Depression impoverished the island. Some political leaders demanded change; some, like Pedro Albizu Campos, would lead a Nationalism (The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party) movement in favor of independence. He served many years in prison for seditious conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. Government in Puerto Rico. Luis Muñoz Marín initially favored independence, but saw a severe decline of the Puerto Rican economy, as well as growing violence and uprisings and opted to support the "commonwealth" option instead. The "commonwealth" was supported before Luis Muñoz Marín by other political leaders.Change in the nature of the internal governance of the island came about during the later years of the Franklin D. Roosevelt–Harry S. Truman administrations, as a form of compromise spearheaded by Muñoz Marín and others, and which culminated with the appointment by President Harry Truman in 1946 of the first Puerto Rican-born governor, Jesus T. Piñero. In 1947, the United States granted the right to democratically elect the governor of Puerto Rico. Luis Muñoz Marín became the first elected governor of Puerto Rico in the 1948 general elections, serving as such for 16 years, until 1964.

Starting at this time, there was heavy migration from Puerto Rico to the Continental United States, particularly New York City, in search of better economic conditions. Puerto Rican migration to New York displayed an average yearly migration that is summarized as follows: 1930-1940, 1,800 per year (avg.); 1946-1950, 31,000 per year; 1951-1960, 45,000 per year, including 75,000 in the peak year of 1953. Latino/a Education Network Service, retrieved 5 February 2007 As of 2003, the United States Census Bureau estimates that there are more people of Puerto Rican birth or ancestry living in the United States than in Puerto Rico itself. Anglelo Falcón, "Atlas of Stateside Puerto Ricans", Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, published 6 December 2004, retrieved 5 February 2007

On November 1, 1950, Puerto Rican nationalists Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo Truman assassination attempt President Harry S Truman. Subsequently, the Truman Administration allowed for a democratic referendum in Puerto Rico to determine whether Puerto Ricans desired to draft their own local constitution.Act of July 3, 1950, Ch. 446, 64 Stat. 319. Puerto Rico adopted Constitution of Puerto Rico in July 25, 1952 which adopted the name of "Estado Libre Asociado" (Free Associated State), translated into English as Commonwealth (United States insular area), for the body politic and which continues to denote Puerto Rico's current relationship with the United States. Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico - in Spanish (Spanish). Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico - in English (English translation). During the 1950s Puerto Rico experienced a rapid industrialization, due in large part to Operación Manos a la Obra ("Operation Bootstrap") (an offshoot of FDR's New Deal) which aimed to industrialize Puerto Rico's economy from agriculture-based into manufacturing-based.

Present-day Puerto Rico has become a major tourist destination and a leading pharmaceutical and manufacturing center. Still, Puerto Rico continues to struggle to define its political status. Three locally-authorized plebiscites have been held in recent decades to decide whether Puerto Rico should pursue independence, enhanced commonwealth status, or statehood. Narrow victories by commonwealth supporters over statehood advocates in the first two plebiscites and an unacceptable definition of Commonwealth by the pro statehood leadership on the ballots in the third has allowed the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States government to remain unchanged. In the latest status referendum of 1998, the "none of the above" option won over Statehood, a rejection by Commonwealthers of the definition of their status on the ballots, with 50.2% of the votes. Support for the pro-statehood party (Partido Nuevo Progresista or PNP) and the pro-commonwealth party (Partido Popular Democrático or PPD) remains about equal. The only registered independence party on the island, the Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP, usually receives 3-5% of the electoral votes, though there are several smaller independence groups like the Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Nationalist Party), el Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano (National Hostosian Independence Movement), and the Macheteros - Ejercito Popular Boricua (or Boricua Popular Army).

On 25 October2006, the Puerto Rico State Department conferred to Juan Mari Brás Puerto Rican Citizenship. The Puerto Rico Supreme Court and the Puerto Rican Secretary of Justice determined that the Puerto Rican citizenship in fact exists and was recognized in the Constitution of Puerto Rico, as in the Insular Cases (Casos Insulares in Spanish) of 1901 through 1922 of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Puerto Rico State Department has developed, since the summer of 2007, the protocol to grant the Puerto Rican citizenship to Puerto Ricans{{cite web|url=http://www.estado.gobierno.pr/Ciudadania_Puertorriquena.htm|title=Ciudadanía de Puerto Rico|language=Spanish|publisher=Departamento de Estado, Estado del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico|accessdate=2007-10-01-->

Geography

Puerto Rico consists of a main island of Puerto Rico and various smaller islands, including Vieques, Puerto Rico, Culebra, Puerto Rico, Mona, Puerto Rico, Desecheo Island, and Caja de Muertos, Puerto Rico. Of the latter five, only Culebra and Vieques are inhabited year-round. Mona is uninhabited through large parts of the year except for employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. There are also many other even smaller islands including Monito Island and "La Isleta de San Juan" known as Old San Juan.

Puerto Rico has an area of 5,324 sq mi (13,790 sq km), and is slightly smaller than Connecticut. It is mostly mountainous with large coastal areas in the north and south regions of the island. The main mountainous range is called "Cordillera Central (Puerto Rico)" (The Central Range). The highest elevation point of Puerto Rico, Cerro de Punta (4,390 foot (unit of length); 1,338 Metre), is located in this range. Another important peak is El Yunque, Puerto Rico, located in the Sierra de Luquillo at the El Yunque National Forest, with a maximum elevation of 3,494 feet (1,065 m). The capital, San Juan, Puerto Rico, is located on the main island's north coast.

Located in the tropics, Puerto Rico enjoys an average temperature of 82.4 °F (28 °C) throughout the year. The seasons do not change very drastically. The temperature in the south is usually a few degrees higher than the north and temperatures in the central interior mountains are always cooler than the rest of the island. List of Atlantic hurricane seasons spans between June and November.

Puerto Rico has 17 lakes, all of which are man-made reservoirs, Los Lagos de Puerto Rico and more than List of Puerto Rico rivers, most born in the Cordillera Central. The rivers in the northern region of the island are typically larger and with higher Volumetric flow rate than those of the south region, given that the south receives less rain than the central and north regions.

As of 1998, 239 plants, sixteen birds and 39 amphibians/reptiles have been discovered that are endemic (ecology) to the archipelago of Puerto Rico. The majority of these (234, 12 and 33 respectively) are found on the main island. Island Directory. The most recognizable endemic species and a symbol of Puerto Rican pride is the Coquí, a small frog easily recognized by the sound from which it gets its name. The El Yunque National Forest in the north east, previously known as the Caribbean National Forest, a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests is home to the majority (13 of 16) of species of coquí. It is also home to more than 240 plants, 26 of which are endemic and 50 bird species, including one of the top 10 Endangered Species#Endangered birds birds in the world, the Puerto Rican Amazon. The Guánica Dry Forest Reserve in the south west, 10,000 acres of dry land inhabited by over 600 uncommon types of plants and animals, including 48 endangered species and 16 that are endemic to Puerto Rico.

Geology Puerto Rico is composed of Cretaceous to Eocene volcanic and plutonic rocks, which are overlain by younger Oligocene and more recent carbonates and other sedimentary rocks. Most of the caverns and karst topography on the island occurs in the northern region in the carbonates. The oldest rocks are approximately 190 million years old (Jurassic) and are located at Sierra Bermeja in the southwest part of the island. These rocks may represent part of the oceanic crust and are believed to come from the Pacific Ocean realm.

Puerto Rico lies at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates and is currently being deformed by the tectonic stresses caused by the interaction of these plates. These stresses may cause earthquakes and tsunamis. These seismic events, along with landslides, represent some of the most dangerous geologic hazards in the island and in the northeastern Caribbean. The 1918 Puerto Rico Earthquake occurred on October 11, 1918 and had an estimated magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter magnitude scale. It originated off the coast of Aguadilla and was accompanied by a tsunami.

The Puerto Rico Trench, the largest and deepest trench in the Atlantic, is located about 75 miles (120 km) north of Puerto Rico in the Atlantic Ocean at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates. The trench is 1,090 miles (1,754 km) long and about 60 miles (97 km) wide. At its deepest point, named the Milwaukee Deep, it is 27,493 feet (8,380 m) deep, or about 5.2 miles (8.38 km).

Demographics During the 1800s, hundreds of Corsican immigration to Puerto Ricon, French immigration to Puerto Rico, Lebanon, Overseas Chinese, and Portugal families, along with large numbers of immigrants from Spain (mainly from Catalonia, Asturias, Galicia (Spain), the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands) and numerous Spanish loyalists from Spain's former colonies in South America, arrived in Puerto Rico. Other settlers have included Irish immigration to Puerto Rico, Scotland, German immigration to Puerto Rico, Italian people, and thousands others who were granted land from Spain during the Real Cedula de Gracias de 1815 (Royal Decree of Graces of 1815), which allowed European Catholics to settle in the island with a certain amount of free land. This mass immigration during the 19th century helped the population grow from 155,000 in 1800 to almost a million at the close of the century. A census conducted by royal decree on September 30,1858, gives the following totals of the Puerto Rican population at this time, with 300,430 identified as Whites ; 341,015 as Free colored; and 41,736 as Slaves. More recently, Puerto Rico has become the permanent home of over 100,000 legal residents who immigrated from not only Spain, but from Latin America as well. Argentines, Cubans, Dominicans, Colombians and Venezuelans can also be counted as settlers.

Emigration has been a major part of Puerto Rico's recent history as well. Starting in the Post-World War II period, due to poverty, cheap airfare, and promotion by the island government, waves of Puerto Ricans moved to the continental United States, particularly to New York City, New York Newark, New Jersey, Jersey City, New Jersey, Paterson, New Jersey, and Camden, New Jersey, New Jersey; Chicago; Springfield, Massachusetts and Boston, Massachusetts; Orlando, Florida, Miami, Florida and Tampa, Florida, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, California. This continued even as Puerto Rico's economy improved and its birth rate declined. Emigration continues at the present time, and this, combined with Puerto Rico's greatly lowered birth rate, suggests that the island's population will age rapidly and start to decline sometime within the next couple of decades.

In the United States Census 2000 Puerto Ricans were asked to indicate in which racial categories they consider themselves to belong. The breakdown is as follows: 80% described themselves as "white"; 8% described themselves as "blacks"; 12% described themselves as "mulatto" and only 0.4% described themselves as "American Indian or Alaska Native" (the US Census does not consider Hispanic to be a race, and asks if a person considers himself Hispanic in a separate question).{{cite web] 2007 (mtDNA) from 800 individuals found 61.1% as having Amerindian maternal mtDNA, 26.4% as having African maternal mtDNA, and 12.5% as having Caucasian maternal mtDNA.Martínez Cruzado, Juan C. (2002). The Use of Mitochondrial DNA to Discover Pre-Columbian Migrations to the Caribbean:Results for Puerto Rico and Expectations for the Dominican Republic. KACIKE: The Journal of Caribbean Amerindian History and Anthropology Journal, Special Issue, Lynne Guitar, Ed. Available at: http://www.kacike.org/MartinezEnglish.pdf of access: 25 September, 2006 Conversely, patrilineal input, as indicated by the [Y chromosome, showed that 70% of all Puerto Rican males have inherited Y chromosome DNA from a male European ancestor, 20% have inherited Y chromosome DNA from a male African ancestor, and fewer than 10% have inherited Y chromosome DNA from a male Amerindian ancestor. In summary, the results suggest that the three largest components of the Puerto Rican genetic pool are Amerindian, African, and European.

Languages The official languages of the island are Spanish language and English language. Spanish is the primary language of Puerto Ricans, though English is taught as a second language in public schools from elementary levels to high school. English is, with limitations, spoken by about one quarter of the population. Description of Puerto Rico by Topuertorico.org. The Puerto_Rican_Spanish is well known for some interesting linguistic features.

In 1991, Governor Rafael Hernández Colón signed a law declaring Spanish as the sole official language of the island's government. While some applauded the governor's decision (mainly members of the political parties supporting commonwealth-status and independence), others opposed it, including statehood supporters. As a result of his actions, the People of Puerto Rico won the Literature's Prince of Asturias Award in 1991, which is awarded annually to those who defend and contribute to the growth of the Spanish language. Fundación Príncipe de Asturias Upon his election as governor in 1993, pro-statehood former Governor Pedro Rosselló overturned the law enacted by his predecessor and once again established both English and Spanish as official languages. This move by the pro-statehood governor was seen by many as another attempt to move the island closer to statehood, however, despite many attempts and plebiscites, it never came about during his two consecutive terms.

Religion The Roman Catholic Church has been historically the most dominant religion of the majority of Puerto Ricans, although the presence of various Protestant denominations has increased under American sovereignty, making modern Puerto Rico an interconfessional country. Protestantism was suppressed under the Spanish regime, but encouraged under American rule of the island.

Taíno religious practices have to a degree been rediscovered/reinvented by a handful of advocates. Various African religious practices have been present since the arrival of enslaved Africans. In particular, the Yoruba beliefs of Santeria and/or Ifá, and the Kongo derived Palo Mayombe (sometimes called an African belief system, but rather a way of Bantu lifestyle of Democratic Republic of the Congo origin) find adherence among very few individuals who practice some form of African traditional religion.

Politics

Government of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico's head of state is the President of the United States. The government of Puerto Rico is based on the formal Republicanism in the United States composed of three branches: the Executive branch headed by the Governor of Puerto Rico, currently Anibal Acevedo Vila, the Legislative branch consisting of a bicameral Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico (a Senate of Puerto Rico and a House of Representatives of Puerto Rico), headed by the President of the Senate, currently Kenneth McClintock and the House Speaker, currently Jóse Aponte Hernandez, and the Judicial branch, headed by the Chief Justice of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, currently Federico Hernandez Denton, that form the formal government. The legal system is based on a mix of the Civil law (legal system) and the common law systems. The governor as well as legislators are elected by popular vote every four years. Members of the Judicial branch are appointed by the governor with the "advice and consent" of the Senate.

Puerto Rico has limited representation in the U.S. Congress in the form of a Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, currently Luis Fortuño, a nonvoting delegate, and the current Congress had returned the Commissioner's power to vote in the Committee of the Whole, but not on matters where the vote would represent a decisive participation. Rules of the House of Representatives Because no federal elections are held in any of the unincorporated territories, Puerto Rico does not have electors in the U.S. Electoral College.

Administrative divisions As an unincorporated territory of the United States, Puerto Rico does not have any first-order administrative divisions as defined by the U.S. Government, but there are 78 municipalities at the second level (Mona Island is not a municipality, but part of the municipality of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico). Municipalities are subdivided into wards or barrios, and those into sectors. Each municipality has a mayor and a municipal legislature elected for a 4 year term.

The first municipality (previously called "town") of Puerto Rico, San Juan, was founded in 1521. In the 16th century two more municipalities were established, Coamo (1570) and San Germán (1570). Three more municipalities were established in the 17th century. These were Arecibo (1614), Aguada, Puerto Rico (1692) and Ponce, Puerto Rico (1692). The 18th and 19th century saw an increase in settlement in Puerto Rico. 30 municipalities were established in the 18th century and 34 more were established in the 19th century. Only six municipalities were founded in the 20th century. The last municipality was Florida, Puerto Rico, founded in 1971. LinktoPR.com - Fundación de los Pueblos.

Political history In 1950, the U.S. Congress gave Puerto Ricans the right to organize a constitutional convention, contingent on the results of a referendum, where the electorate would determine if they wished to organize their own government pursuant to a constitution of their own choosing. Puerto Ricans expressed their support for this measure in a 1951 referendum, which gave voters a yes-or-no choice for the commonwealth status, defined as a 'permanent association with a federal union' but which did not offer independence or statehood as ballot options. A second referendum was held to approve the constitution, which was adopted in 1952.

Prior to approving the new constitution, the Constitutional Convention specified the name by which the body politic would be known. On February 4 1952, the convention approved Resolution 22 which chose in English the word “Commonwealth (United States insular area) ”, meaning a “politically organized community” or “state,” which is simultaneously connected by a compact or treaty to another political system. The convention adopted a translation into Spanish of the term, inspired by the Irish saorstát Free state (government) of “Estado Libre Asociado” (ELA) to represent the compact between the people of Puerto Rico and the United States. Literally translated into English, the phrase means “Associated Free State.”

In 1967, the Legislative Assembly tested political interests of the Puerto Rican people by passing a plebiscite Act that allowed a vote on the status of Puerto Rico. This constituted the first plebiscite by the Legislature for a choice on three status options. Puerto Rican leaders had lobbied for such an opportunity repeatedly, in 1898, 1912, 1914, 1919, 1923, 1929, 1932, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1948, 1956, and 1960. The Commonwealth option, represented by the PDP, won with an overwhelming majority of 60.4 percent of the votes. The Statehood Republican Party, as well as the Puerto Rico Independence Party boycotted the vote.

Following the plebiscite, efforts in the 1970s to enact legislation to address the status issue died in Congressional committees. In the 1993 plebiscite, in which Congress played a more substantial role, Commonwealth status was again upheld.For the complete statistics regarding these plebiscites please refer to Elections in Puerto Rico:Results. In the 1998 plebiscite, all the options were rejected when an absolute majority of the voters (50.3%) voted in favor of the "none of the above" option, again favoring the commonwealth status quo by default.

International status On November 27, 1953, shortly after the establishment of the Commonwealth, the General Assembly of the United Nations approved UN General Assembly Resolution, removing Puerto Rico’s classification as a United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories under article 73(e) of the Charter from United Nations. However, the UN General Assembly did not apply its full list of criteria to Puerto Rico for determining whether or not self-governing status had been achieved. In fact, in a 1996 report on a Puerto Rico status political bill, the U.S. United States House Committee on Natural Resources stated that Puerto Rico’s current status “does not meet the criteria for any of the options for full self-government.” The House Committee concluded that Puerto Rico is still an unincorporated territory of the United States under the territorial clause, that the establishment of local self-government with the consent of the people can be unilaterally revoked by the U.S. Congress, and that U.S. Congress can also withdraw the U.S. citizenship now enjoyed by the residents of Puerto Rico at any time, as long as it achieves a legitimate Federal purpose. {{cite web|url=http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/resources/hii43194.000/hii43194_0.HTM|title=Puerto Rico Status Field Hearing|publisher=Committee on Resources, U.S. House of Representatives, 105th Congress|date=April 19, 1997.

Even though Puerto Rico has no established embassies, it hosts [Consul (representative) from 42 countries, mainly from the Western Hemisphere and Europe. Most consulates are located in the vicinity of San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico.

Political status within the United States Under its Constitution of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth and enjoys an autonomous entity similar to that of a state of the Union. Puerto Ricans are statutory U.S. Citizens but, because Puerto Rico is an insular area and not a U.S. state, the United States Constitution does not enfranchise U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico does participate in the internal political process of both the Democratic and Republican Parties in the United States (although not accorded equal-proportional representation in both parties), and delegates from the island vote in each party's national convention.

Puerto Rico is classified by the U.S. government as an independent taxation authority by mutual agreement with the U.S. Congress. A common misconception is that residents of Puerto Rico do not have to pay federal taxes. Residents of the island pay federal taxes (import/export taxes, federal commodity taxes, social security taxes, etc.) and some even pay federal income taxes (Puerto Rico residents who are federal employees, or who do business with the federal government, Puerto Rico-based corporations that intend to send funds to the U.S., etc). While most residents of the island do not pay Income tax in the United States, they do pay federal payroll taxes (Social Security (United States) and Medicare), as well as Puerto Rico income taxes. In addition, because the cutoff point for income taxation is lower than that of the IRS code, and because the per-capita income in Puerto Rico is much lower than the average per-capita income on the mainland, more Puerto Rico residents pay income taxes to the local taxation authority than if the IRS code were applied to the island. Puerto Rico residents are eligible for Social Security benefits upon retirement. Puerto Rico is excluded from Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Puerto Rico receives less than 15% of the Medicaid funding it would be allotted as a state.

As statutory U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans may enlist in the U.S. military. Puerto Ricans have been included in the compulsory draft, when it has been in effect. Puerto Ricans have fully participated in all U.S. wars since 1898, most notably Puerto Ricans in World War II, in the Korean War and Vietnam War wars, and the current Middle-Eastern conflicts.

Recent developments on status According to a December 2005 report by the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status, it is not possible “to bind future (U.S.)Congresses to any particular arrangement for Puerto Rico as a Commonwealth”. This determination was based on articles in the U.S. Constitution regarding territories. The Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vilá has since challenged the task force report, while his party, the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), denounced the task force as a political fraud that represents a threat to democracy and is a violation of the basic agreements held between the people of Puerto Rico and the United States since 1952. PPD Party Resolution #2006-02 It also announced a commitment to challenge the task force's report and validate the current status in all international forums including the United Nations. It also rejects any colonial or territorial status as a status option, and vows to keep working for the enhanced Commonwealth status that was approved by the PPD in 1998 which included sovereignty, an association based on "respect and dignity between both nations", and common citizenship. Independence Hearing by the Puerto Rico Herald.

The Legislative Branch, controlled by the opposing New Progressive Party (PNP), supported the White House Report's conclusions and has supported bills introduced by Reps. Jose Serrano (D-NY) and Luis Fortuño (R-PR) and Sens. Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Mel Martinez (R-FL) to provide for a democratic referendum process among Puerto Rico voters.

Political parties As unincorporated territory dependent on the U.S. since 1952, the ideology of Puerto Ricans is represented by its political parties, which stand for three distinct future political scenarios that are non-conformist regarding Puerto Rico's territorial or colonial status: (1) those who favor an autonomous, sovereign bilateral relationship with the United States (so-called "improved"/"enhanced" U.S. Commonwealth outside the U.S. Constitution's "Territorial Clause" or Free Associated Republic status); (2) those that favor that Puerto Rico's national independence should be recognized by the United States, as a full-fledged sovereign republic within the concert of the international community at-large; and, (3) those who favor Puerto Rico's entry into the United States as a full-fledged state of the federated union, by becoming the 51st state of the aforementioned country. The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico (PPD) seeks to maintain the island's "association" status as a commonwealth, improved commonwealth and/or seek a true free sovereign-association status or Free Associated Republic, and has won a plurality vote in referendums on the island's status held over six decades after the island was invaded by the United States (that said, most referendums' fairness have been impugned by one or two of the opposition parties). The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (PNP) seeks 51st state for Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican Independence Party and the Nationalist Party both seek Puerto Rican independence movement, albeit through different means. The Nationalist Party, for example, does not participate in elections held every four years. Although they maintain close relations and are considered allies within an otherwise rather divided Puerto Rican Independence Movement, the Puerto Rican Independence Party, on the other hand, does participate in nation-wide gubernatorial elections held every four years since 1948.

Economy In the early 1900s the greatest contributor to Puerto Rico's economy was agriculture, its main crop being sugar. In the late 1940s a series of projects codenamed Operation Bootstrap encouraged, using tax exemptions, the establishment of factories. Thus manufacturing replaced agriculture as the main industry. Puerto Rico is currently classified as a First World#High income country by the World Bank. Data and Statistics of Country Groups of the World Bank Income report for Puerto Rico by the World Bank.

The economic conditions in Puerto Rico have improved dramatically since the Great Depression due to external investment in capital-intensive industry such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and technology. Once the beneficiary of special tax treatment from the U.S. government, today local industries must compete with those in more economically depressed parts of the world where wages are not subject to U.S. minimum wage legislation. In recent years, some U.S. and foreign owned factories have moved to lower wage countries in Latin America and Asia. Puerto Rico is subject to U.S. trade laws and restrictions.

Tourism is an important component of the Puerto Rican economy supplying an approximate $1.8 billion. In 1999, an estimated 5 million tourists visited the island, most from the United States. Nearly a third of these are cruise ship passengers. A steady increase in hotel registrations, which has been observed since 1998, and the construction of new hotels and new tourism projects, such as the Puerto Rico Convention Center, are indicators of the current strength of the tourism industry.

Puerto Ricans had a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimate of $22,058 for 2006,. which demonstrates a growth over the $14,412 level measured in the 2002 Current Population Survey by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. PRLDEF. In that survey, Puerto Ricans had a 48.2% poverty rate. By comparison, the poorest State of the Union, Mississippi, had a median level of $21,587, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, 2002 to 2004 Annual Social and Economic Supplements. U.S. Census - Median Family Income. Since 1952, the gap between Puerto Rico's per capita income and U.S. national levels has essentially remained unchanged — one third the U.S. national average and roughly half that of the poorest state. The United Nation's Human Development Index ranking is not regularly available for Puerto Rico, though the UN Development Program assigned it a .942 score in 1998, which would place it among the top 15 countries in the HDI rankings. {{cite web], 2006, the Puerto Rican government faced significant shortages in cash flows, which forced the closure of the local Department of Education and 42 other government agencies. All 1,536 public schools closed, and 95,762 people were furloughed in the first-ever partial shutdown of the government in the island's history. On May 10, 2006, the 2006 Puerto Rico budget crisis was resolved with a new tax reform agreement, with plans to apply a temporary 1% tax input so that all government employees could return to work. On November 15, 2006 a 5.5% sales tax was implemented. Municipalities have the option of applying a municipal sales tax of 1.5% bringing the total sales tax to 7%.

Culture

Puerto Rican culture is a mix of four cultures, African (from the slaves), Taíno (Amerindians), Spanish, and, more recently, North American. From Africans, the Puerto Ricans have obtained the "bomba and plena", a type of music and dance including percussions and maracas. From the Amerindians (Tainos), Puerto Ricans have kept many names for their municipalities, foods, musical instruments like the güiro and maracas. Many words and other objects have originated from their localized language. From the Spanish they got the Spanish language, the Catholic religion and the vast majority of their cultural and moral values and traditions. From the United States they received the English language, the university system -- the University of Puerto Rico was founded in 1903, --five years after the island became part of the United States -- and a variety of hybrid cultural forms that developed between the United States mainland and the island of Puerto Rico.

The official symbols of Puerto Rico are the bird, Reinita mora (Spindalis portoricensis), the flower, Flor de Maga (Flor de maga), and the tree, Ceiba or Kapok (Kapok). The unofficial favorite amphibian is the Coquí (Eleutherodactylus coqui). Another popular unofficial symbol of Puerto Rico is the "jíbaro" , the "countryman" .

Sports , first Puerto Rican to win an Olympic medal.Puerto Rico sports Olympic teams for both the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics, as well as having international representation in many other sporting events including the Pan-American Games, the Caribbean World Series, and the Central American and Caribbean Games, of which, Mayagüez will host the upcoming 2010 event. Puerto Rican athletes have won 6 medals (1 silver, 5 bronze) in Olympic competition, the first one in 1948 by boxer Juan Evangelista Venegas. Puerto Rican professional tennis player Gigi Fernández won two gold medals in Olympic tennis doubles competitions representing the United States Olympic Team. International Master, Julio Kaplan played for the Puerto Rico National Chess Team in four straight Chess Olympiads and, while representing Puerto Rico i

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