Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico
(
Spanish
)
|
---|
|
|
Capital
and largest city
| San Juan
18°15′N
66°30′W
/
18.25°N 66.5°W
/
18.25; -66.5
|
---|
Official languages
| Spanish
and
English
|
---|
Other languages
| French
,
Taino
(historical, extinct)
|
---|
Ethnic groups
|
- 70% White
- 22% Mixed
- 8% Black
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---|
Demonym(s)
| |
---|
Government
| Republic
, three-branch government
|
---|
|
| Joe Biden
(
D
)
|
---|
| Pedro Pierluisi
(
NPP
/
D
)
|
---|
| United States Congress
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---|
|
|
|
| December 10, 1898 from
Kingdom of Spain
|
---|
| November 25, 1897 Supreme Authority and Sovereignty was retained by the
Kingdom of Spain
.
[2]
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---|
|
|
? Total
| 9,104 km
2
(3,515 sq mi) (
169th
)
|
---|
? Water
| 1,809 sq mi (4,690 km
2
)
|
---|
? Water (%)
| 1.6
|
---|
|
? 2018 estimate
| 3,195,153 (
127th in the world; 29th in U.S.
)
|
---|
? Density
| 418/km
2
(1,082.6/sq mi) (
21st in the world; 2nd in U.S.
)
|
---|
GDP
(
PPP
)
| 2007 estimate
|
---|
? Total
| $77.4 billion (
N/A
)
|
---|
? Per capita
| $19,600 (
N/A
)
|
---|
GDP
(nominal)
| 2010 estimate
|
---|
? Total
| $96.26 billion
[3]
(
N/A
)
|
---|
? Per capita
| $24,229
[3]
(
N/A
)
|
---|
Gini
(2009)
| 53.2
[4]
high
·
?th
|
---|
Currency
| United States dollar
(
USD
)
|
---|
Time zone
| UTC
?4
(
AST
)
|
---|
| UTC
?4
(No DST)
|
---|
Driving side
| right
|
---|
Calling code
| +1
(spec.
+1-787 and +1-939
)
|
---|
ISO 3166 code
| PR
|
---|
Internet TLD
| .pr
|
---|
Puerto Rico
, or the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
(
Spanish
:
Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico
), is a
U.S. territory
in the
Caribbean Sea
.
[5]
This means that it belongs to the
United States
and
citizens
of Puerto Rico are
citizens of the United States
as well. Puerto Rico is not an
independent
country, but like all populated U.S. territories, it enjoys a greater degree of
autonomy
than
U.S. states
. There has been a movement for independence for almost two centuries. There have been
protests
,
votes
, and
armed attacks
for independence.
[6]
[7]
[8]
Puerto Rico has about 3.3 million (3,300,000) people. Its political system is based on a
republican
system. It has two official languages:
Spanish
and
English
, but Spanish is almost only used by the
government
, the
legislature
and the
judiciary
(
courts
). Spanish is also the main language of the school
curriculum
, though English is taught in all schools as a
second language
(from grade 1 to 12). Puerto Rico is one of two U.S. territories where the
metric system
is officially used and is dominant. (The other is
Guam
, which was also a Spanish colony. The metric system was introduced to both territories, before they became U.S. territories.)
[9]
Spanish is spoken by 94.7% of the population and English is spoken by 5.3% of the population as a
mother language
. The
currency
used is the
United States dollar
.
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 the
capital
of the territory.
Puerto Rico
means "rich port" in Spanish.
On May 3, 2017, Puerto Rico filed for
bankruptcy
after a massive debt and weak economy.
[10]
It is the largest bankruptcy case in
American history
.
[10]
Puerto Rico is one of the
unincorporated territories
of the USA. These are organized, self-governing territories with locally elected governors and
legislatures
. Because it is not a
state
, its
citizens
can not vote in U.S. national
elections
unless they have an
address
in one of the 50 US states. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and can move to or from the 50 states. Puerto Rico elects a
Resident Commissioner
to the
U.S. House of Representatives
.
[11]
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
arrived at the island in 1492 and named it
San Juan Bautista
,
[12]
the people living there were the
Tainos
.
[13]
[14]
Since it is 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 Spanish spread
race
-based
slavery
across the island. In the 19th century, slave
revolts
and the
abolitionist
movement brought an end to legal slavery.
[15]
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.
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.
In May 2022, Members of Congress sponsoring competing bills on how to resolve Puerto Rico’s territorial status and its relationship to the U.S. have come together to introduce new legislation combining both. The proposed legislation combines elements of the pro-statehood bill introduced by Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., and Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez, Puerto Rico’s nonvoting member of Congress and a Republican, alongside the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act from Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velazquez, both New York Democrats. The draft legislation says that a plebiscite to resolve Puerto Rico’s political status shall be held on November 5, 2023.
[1]
On December 15, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the Puerto Rico Status Act. The act sought to resolve Puerto Rico's status and its relationship to the United States through a binding plebiscite.
[16]
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 is 4,390 feet (1,338 meters)
Puerto Rico has three main political parties: the Puerto Rican Independence Party, which favors Puerto Rico becoming an independent nation; the New Progressive Party, which supports Puerto Rico's transition to becoming a state of the U.S; and the Popular Democratic Party, which supports Colonialism.
The issue of the political status of the island (meaning whether it's a country, a U.S. state, or a colony) is an issue of debate amongst the Puerto Rican people. In the past there have been many attempts to clearly define the island's political status by means of voting. Most of the time the majority of the people have chosen to remain a colony. However, in the last "status voting" the colonial option appeared to have lost well over 90% of its support, while the U.S. state option has only gained strength in the last few decades. The Puerto Rican Independence party, on the other hand, has mainly lost a great deal of support within the last six decades.
Puerto Rico is said to comprise a White majority, an extinct Amerindian population, persons of mixed ancestry, Africans and a small Asian minority. Recent genetic research, however, contradicts that information. According to the 2010 US Census, 99% of the population consider themselves of Puerto Rican descent (regardless of race or skin color), making Puerto Rico one of the most culturally unified societies in the world.
The population of Puerto Rico is nearly about 4 million people. The ethnic composition of the population is:
- 70% White
- 20% Mulatto
- 10% Black
Puerto Rico has a strong literary tradition. The most important playwrights are
Rene Marques
(author of "The Oxcart") and
Lin Manuel Miranda
(creator of the Broadway musical "
Hamilton
"). The most famous poets are Julia de Burgos ("Yo fui mi ruta")
[17]
and
Giannina Braschi
[18]
(author the poetry epic "Empire of Dreams"). Celebrated Puerto Rican novelists include Rosario Ferre (Eccentric Neighborhoods), Giannina Braschi (United States of Banana), and
Esmeralda Santiago
(When I Was Puerto Rican).
[19]
Puerto Rican poets who live in New York are called
Nuyorican
poets.
Jose Campeche
(1751-1809) is the first known Puerto Rican painter.
[20]
He painted in the best
rococo
style. Franciso Oller painted Puerto Rican landscapes and
still life
paintings the 19th Century. In the 20th century Franciso Rodon who paints portraits of
celebrities
.
[21]
In the 21st century, Allora and Calzadilla are
conceptual artists
in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
[22]
Puerto Rico music is often called Latin music. There are many popular styes of Puerto Rican dance music, including
Salsa
, Bomba, Plena, and
R
eggaeton
.
[23]
One of the most popular bands today is Calle 13.
[24]
World famous Puerto Rican singers include
Jennifer Lopez
, Hector Lavoe,
Tito Puentes
, and
Marc Anthony
.
Ricky Martin
won the 1999
Grammy Award
for "Best Latin Pop Performance" for
Living La Vida Loca
.
[23]
Puerto Rican philosophy deals with Puerto Rican independence,
education
,
racism
, and
liberty
for all. The first major Puerto Rican philosopher was
Eugenio Maria de Hostos
.
[25]
He was born in the 19th Century in Puerto Rico. He believed that Puerto Rico, the
Dominican Republic
and
Cuba
should unite to be free from
Colonial
powers. Francisco Jose Ramos was born in the 20th century. His philosophy deals with
Ancient Greeks
,
American imperialism
, and
Buddhism
.
[26]
Giannina Braschi
is a contemporary
political philosopher
. She writes about
freedom
,
immigration
,
revolution
, and
justice
.
[27]
Braschi was inspired by a major Mexican woman philosopher
Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz.
[28]
Puerto Rican philosophers are sometimes called Latinx philosophers or Latin American philosophers.
[29]
Notable people from Puerto Rico
[
change
|
change source
]
Melissa Cristina Marquez
is a marine biologist from Puerto Rico.
- ↑
"U.S. Department of State. Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty"
. State.gov.
Archived
from the original on April 20, 2019
. Retrieved
August 14,
2010
.
- ↑
"Carta Autonomica de 1897 de Puerto Rico"
. Lexjuris.com.
Archived
from the original on 2014-03-01
. Retrieved
2011-10-30
.
- ↑
3.0
3.1
"Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico, May 2011"
(PDF)
. gdb-pur.com. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2012-01-31
. Retrieved
June 2,
2011
.
- ↑
https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/historical/state/state4.html
Archived
2015-09-24 at the
Wayback Machine
(in English)
- ↑
More exactly, it is an
unincorporated
territory.
- ↑
"Audio of Lolita Lebron at 1954 attack"
.
Freedom Archives
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-12-04
. Retrieved
2020-11-17
.
- ↑
"El Grito de Lares"
.
New York Latino Journal
.
Archived
from the original on 2011-07-21.
- ↑
Qvortrup, Matt (2015-07-10).
"Voting on Independence and National Issues: A Historical and Comparative Study of Referendums on Self-Determination and Secession"
.
Revue Francaise de Civilisation Britannique. French Journal of British Studies
.
20
(XX-2).
doi
:
10.4000/rfcb.366
.
ISSN
0248-9015
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-11-09
. Retrieved
2020-11-17
.
- ↑
"US leaves the world puzzled by dragging its feet on metric system"
.
The Nation Thailand
. 2015-12-26.
Archived
from the original on 2023-01-28
. Retrieved
2023-01-28
.
- ↑
10.0
10.1
"Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government bankruptcy"
.
Reuters
. May 3, 2017.
Archived
from the original on September 10, 2017
. Retrieved
August 31,
2017
.
- ↑
US General Accounting Office,
U.S. Insular Areas: Application of the U.S. Constitution
Archived
2020-02-29 at the
Wayback Machine
, November 1997, pp. 8, 14, 27, viewed September 3, 2015.
- ↑
"The second voyage of Columbus"
. World Book, Inc. Archived from
the original
on 2012-06-28
. Retrieved
2006-02-11
.
- ↑
Mahaffy, Cheryl (January 28, 2006).
"Vieques Island - What lies beneath"
.
canada.com
. Edmonton Journal. Archived from
the original
on October 11, 2007
. Retrieved
2006-02-11
.
- ↑
Rouse, Irving.
The Tainos : Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus
ISBN
0-300-05696-6
.
- ↑
Rodriguez-Silva, Ileana M. (2012).
Silencing Race: Disentangling Blackness, Colonialism, and National Identities in Puerto Rico
. Palgrave Macmillan US.
ISBN
978-1-137-26321-6
.
Archived
from the original on 2021-04-15
. Retrieved
2020-11-17
.
- ↑
"House votes in favor of resolving Puerto Rico's territorial status"
.
NBC News
. December 15, 2022.
Archived
from the original on February 16, 2023
. Retrieved
February 15,
2023
.
- ↑
Foundation, Poetry (2020-09-17).
"Julia de Burgos"
.
Poetry Foundation
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-09-09
. Retrieved
2020-09-17
.
- ↑
Poets, Academy of American.
"About Giannina Braschi | Academy of American Poets"
.
poets.org
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-09-28
. Retrieved
2020-09-17
.
- ↑
Valens, K. (2012-11-01).
"The Love of Neighbors: Rosario Ferre's Eccentric Neighborhoods / Vencindarios excentricos"
.
Contemporary Women's Writing
.
6
(3): 251?266.
doi
:
10.1093/cww/vps026
.
ISSN
1754-1484
.
- ↑
"Puerto Rican Counterpoint I"
.
The Right to Look
: 117?122. 2011.
doi
:
10.1215/9780822393726-005
.
ISBN
978-0-8223-4895-5
.
- ↑
jmedranoartcollection (2014-03-10).
"The Legend of Francisco Rodon"
.
Puerto Rico Art Review & Art Collection
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-09-19
. Retrieved
2020-09-17
.
- ↑
"Allora & Calzadilla | Artists | Lisson Gallery"
.
www.lissongallery.com
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-09-22
. Retrieved
2020-09-17
.
- ↑
23.0
23.1
"Puerto Rico's Culture: Music"
.
welcome.topuertorico.org
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-09-19
. Retrieved
2020-09-17
.
- ↑
ivetteromero (2013-01-15).
"The 12 Most Influential Puerto Ricans"
.
Repeating Islands
.
Archived
from the original on 2020-09-22
. Retrieved
2020-09-17
.
- ↑
"Eugenio Maria de Hostos | Puerto Rican author"
.
Encyclopedia Britannica
.
Archived
from the original on 2021-08-01
. Retrieved
2021-08-01
.
- ↑
Ramos, Francisco Jose (2020-10-27).
The Holy Trinity
. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 156?165.
doi
:
10.2307/j.ctv193rr38.17
.
ISBN
978-0-8229-8759-8
.
S2CID
241105437
.
- ↑
Aldama, Frederick Luis; O’Dwyer, Tess, eds. (2020-10-27).
Poets, Philosophers, Lovers
. University of Pittsburgh Press.
doi
:
10.2307/j.ctv193rr38
.
ISBN
978-0-8229-8759-8
.
S2CID
240594860
.
- ↑
"A Conversation between Frederick Luis Aldama and Tess O'Dwyer, Co-Editors of Poets, Philosophers, Lovers: On the Writings of Giannina Braschi"
.
Latin American Literature Today
. 2021-02-19
. Retrieved
2021-08-01
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ↑
Vargas, Manuel (2018). Zalta, Edward N. (ed.).
Latinx Philosophy
(Winter 2018 ed.). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University.
Archived
from the original on 2021-11-29
. Retrieved
2021-08-01
.
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Independent
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Governed by other countries
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Independent Countries
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Governed by other countries
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Associate members
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Observer countries
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¹ Member of the community but not the Caribbean (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy.
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