Today we are going to talk about Is Puerto Rico a Country? Puerto Rico is not considered an independent country but Puerto Rico is known as the unorganized region of the US. In fact Puerto Rico has never been an independent nation. Puerto Rico had a native Taíno people who welcomed Christopher Columbus when he landed on the island in 1493, and the island soon became a Spanish colony. So let's gather a little more information about Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is located about 1000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida and in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. Puerto Rico has the main island of eponymous and some smaller islands include Culebra, Mona and Vieques. This place has about 3.2 million inhabitants. People living in Puerto Rico have Spanish and English, the official languages of the executive branch of the government. Puerto Rico is dominated by Spanish.
The region was founded by Spain after the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493. The inhabitants of Puerto Rico were eventually granted full U.S. citizenship and later the region was granted political autonomy so that those living on Puerto Rico could manage their own internal affairs despite being under U.S. sovereignty. In recent times, the region has been known as the Commonwealth in a free alliance with the United States.
History
At the time of European contact, Puerto Rico was known as Borinquen or island Boriken. Columbus named the region San Juan Bautista and the first European settlement built there was known as Puerto Rico. In 1508, with the appointment of Juan Ponce de León as the first governor of the region, it officially became a Spanish colony. It was not long before the Spaniards began to enslave the natives of Puerto Rico. This region will be under Spanish rule for about four centuries.
In 1898, when the war between the US and Spain broke out, US forces invaded this type of territory. After the conflict culminated, Puerto Rico was ruled by the U.S. military until 1900, when the U.S. passed the Foraker Act, giving the region a civilian government. Puerto Rico was created by the Commonwealth in 1952 and maintains Puerto Rico by giving its people self-government to this day.
Government
The region has 8 sanitary districts, 40 representative districts and 78 municipalities. Puerto Rico has a republican form of government that separates power from U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Puerto Rico's current powers are vested in the United States Congress and lack full protection under the US Constitution. The Prime Minister of the region is the President of the United States.
The region also has its own government, which manages most of Puerto Rico's internal affairs. Puerto Rico is still controlled by the U.S. federal government in some areas, such as interstate, defense, foreign relations, and international trade, customs, immigration, citizenship, and currency. The government system of the region is made up of three branches, namely the legal, judicial and executive branches, based on the formal Republican system.
The government of this region is similar to the US federal and state governments. Puerto Rico has a binary assembly with the House of Representatives and the Senate. The region also has its own Supreme Court. The government of Puerto Rico is located in the capital San Juan and is also considered to be the largest city in Puerto Rico.
Environment
Puerto Rico is desolate for most of the year except for the staff of the natural resources and its department. The region is found to be about 170 km long and 60 km wide, making a total area of 8,868 km2. Puerto Rico is known as the third largest in the U.S. Puerto Rico also has 143 small islands, inlets and cages.
The Commonwealth covers an area of 5,320 square miles. Puerto Rico has 3,420 square miles of land and 1,900 square miles of water. This region is the smallest in the Greater Antilles. In Puerto Rico it is 18% the size of Hispaniola, 80% the size of Jamaica, and 8% the size of Cuba, the largest in the Greater Antilles.
This region has a tropical climate year-round. The average temperature in Puerto Rico is 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainy months of Puerto Rico are from October to May. The climate of this type of region is one of the reasons that attract many tourists to visit but Puerto Rico is also prone to hurricanes.
Puerto Rico is mostly mountainous with large coastal areas to the north and south. The main mountain range in Puerto Rico is called "La Cordillera Central". There are 17 lakes in the region which are man-made. There are more than 50 rivers in Puerto Rico and most of them originate in Cordillera Central. Rivers in the northern part of Puerto Rico generally have longer and higher water flow rates than in the south, so the south receives less rainfall than the central and northern regions.
Economy
The region's economy has been classified by the World Economic Forum as a high-income economy and one of Latin America's most competitive. The region's classified by the International Monetary Fund as a developed jurisdiction with advanced and high-income economies. According to the World Bank, the total per capita national income in the region in 2013 was $ 23,830. Puerto Rico is ranked 63rd among all sovereign and dependent territories in the world.
Puerto Rico's economy is driven primarily by manufacturing. Then there are finance, real estate, insurance and tourism. The tourism industry is considered to be a very important part of Puerto Rico's economy. Both the geography of the region and its political position are crucial factors in its economic prosperity.
The Future Of Puerto Rico
The biggest issue in society today is the future of the U.S. territory. Many Puerto Rico residents want Puerto Rico to be a full-fledged state while others want to maintain the status quo. There are also some Puerto Ricans on this territory who prefer complete independence for them. Many referendums have been held in this region.
Culture
The culture of the region is considered to be a unique blend of cultural antiquity and includes French, European, Spanish, Italian, German and Irish, African and, in recent times, some North Americans and many South Americans. The cuisine of this region has its roots in the cooking traditions and methods of Europe, Africa and the original Tenos.
The official symbols of Puerto Rico are the Puerto Rican spindalis or reinita mora, the flor de maga and kapok. The unofficial animal of Puerto Rico and a symbol of Puerto Rican pride are the cocoa and a small frog. Other popular symbols from this region are carite and jíbaro. The music of this Rico has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources.
People
The region is home to about 2.8 million people. New York and Florida in the United States are also home to millions of Puerto Ricans. In fact, Puerto Ricans have often migrated from Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has seen a decline in population since at least 2005.
The population of this region is both diverse and multicultural. Puerto Rico includes people of European, African and Taíno descent. About 99% of the region defines itself as at least part Hispanic and Latino. Spanish is the most widely spoken language in Puerto Rico. Apart from this, English language is also spoken in this region.
