Puerto Rico is a popular vacation destination, well-known for its majestic beaches and magnificent nature. Puerto Rico consists of the main island Puerto Rico and various smaller islands. It is located in the Northeastern Caribbean and is part of the Greater Antilles, which also include Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic) and Jamaica.
As a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States Puerto Rico is not an independent country. Native Puerto Ricans have the status of US citizens and U.S. federal law applies to Puerto Rico, even though it is not one of the states within the American Union.
In the course of the twentieth century Puerto Rico’s colonial agrarian economy was replaced by an economy primarily based on industry (pharmaceutical and petrochemical) and increasingly by services (financial sector and tourism). Although the Puerto Rican income per capita is lower than the average US income, according to the World Bank it stands out in the Caribbean region as a high income country.
| Capital | San Juan (appr. 433,000 inhabitants) |
| Other towns | • Bayamon (appr. 233,000 inhabitants) • Ponce (appr. 190,000 inhabitants) • Mayagues (appr. 101,000 inhabitants) |
| Language(s) | Spanish and English |
| Population | Approximately 4 million habitants |
| Political Status | Republic |
| Area | 9,104 km2 (5.59 sq. miles) |
| Currency | US Dollar (USD) |
| Climate | Hot, tropical climate with an average temperature of 82.4 °F (28 °C) throughout the year. |
| Selected Main Attractions | Natural reserve Las Cabezas de San Juan and Piñones (famous for its beaches), the San Felipe de Morro fortress, the San Juan National historic site Casa Blanca (residence of the Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon), the Children’s museum Museo del Niño, Museo de San Juan and the Luís Munoz Rivera Park in San Juan |
| Shopping | Shopping mall Plaza Las Américas, Condado Area (design shops) and the Old San Juan town center for art galleries, small antique shops and souvenirs. |
| Electrical Current | 120 V, 60 Hz |
