Puerto+Rico+(Rollin)

General Information
Capital City: San Juan Population: 3,725,789 Demographics: (2000 U.S. Cencus) .47% Growth Rate 78.29 Average Years of Life Expectancy 80% of Population is White

Religion: Official Languages: Major Exports: $46.9 Billion (2001) Major Imports: $29.1 Billion (2001) Monetary System: 1493-1899: Puerto Rico used the Spanish Peso 1899-Present: The U.S. exchanged the Peso with the U.S. Dollar.
 * 85% Roman Catholic
 * 8% Protestant
 * 7% Other
 * Spanish
 * English
 * Chemicals
 * Rum
 * Electronics
 * Clothing
 * Canned Tuna
 * Chemicals
 * Machinery and Equipment
 * Clothing
 * Food
 * Fish
 * Petroleum Products

Geography


Puerto Rico is an island that is shaped almost like a rectange. It is about 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, giving it its rectangular look, and its coasts are about 580 km long, while it has about 3,435 square miles of land area and 145 square kilometers of water area. It is the eastmost island of the Greater Antilles, and it is approximately 1000 miles southeast of the southern tip of Florida. The coast of the island is mostly flat and only gets more mountainous toward the center of the island. The tallest mountain, Ceroo de Punta, is in the center of the island and is about 4,389 feet tall. Only 8% of the island is good for agriculture, which is a setback for any country that size. Due to the land type of Puerto Rico, it suffers from much erosion and occasional droughts, depending on the weather. This problem causes Puerto Rico to not be in the mix of all the major agricultural countries around it. Agriculture only makes up .5% of Puerto Rico's economy, which allows manufacturing to be the major economic factor by making 40.4% of their GDP.


 * Tropical Climate
 * Average temperature of 80 degress F in lower areas and 70 degrees F in the mountains
 * Only a 6 degree temperature change all year
 * Pesistent 22 mph winds from the east
 * Rainy season from April to December
 * Rain can average from 30 inches to 180 inches depending on the area.
 * Hurricane season from June to November.

Brief History
Puerto Rico was first discovered by Europeans in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, a Spaniard. He named it San Juan Bautista and found that it was inhabited by Taino or Arawak Indians. They were very friendly to Columbus and gave the Europeans many gifts. Ponce de Leon first colonized the island in 1508, and He became its first governor. The Spaniard conquistadors were looking for gold on the island, so they made slaves of the Indians that lived their, and they were eventually killed from being overworked. Because of this, many black slaves were brought from Africa, so Puerto Rico became another stop for the slave ships making their runs. The island remained economically undeveloped until 1830 when sugarcane and other important plantations became popular. This caused some of the Spaniards and other Europeans to move to Puerto Rico, and they started to marry the Taino Indians, which brought a new ethnic group to the island, called Criollos.

After time went by and the island began to grow, Puerto Ricans began to push for independence from Spain. Spain allowed Puerto Rico to govern themselves in 1897 to keep them from starting any problems. Spain ended up going to war with America in 1898, and the U.S. invaded Puerto Rico. Of course America won, and Spain surrendered the island to the U.S. Puerto Rico stopped using the Spanish Peso and changed to the U.S. Dollar and has been considered a U.S. territory ever since. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted the right to U.S. Citizenship by the Jones Act and allowed to vote for their own governor in 1948. Presently, Puerto Rico manages itself under its own constitution, which was started in 1952.

Government/Current Political Situation
Puerto Rico's government is very similar to what we have here in America since they are a U.S. territory. They have a chief of state which acts as the president in the U.S., a governor is their head of government, and they have a bicameral system with 51 members in their House of Representatives and 27 members in their Senate. Puerto Rico runs all of its internal affairs, but the U.S. government controls all of its interstate trade, foriegn relations/commerce, land, sea, air, nationality and citizenship, currency, and etc. America practically runs puerto rico's government on an international level. The current leader of Puerto Rico is Luis Fortuno, but he only runs the local government, while President Obama is also considered the leader of Puerto Rico, but he only runs the international business. (Below: Government building in San Juan) The Governor is the leader of the executive branch. He is elected by popular vote and serves a four year term, which begins on the second day of January. The legislative branch is ran by the Chamber of Representatives and Senate. They don't have much power besides regulating tax revenue because the U.S. runs most of the rules and regulations in the country. The Judiciary system is ran by the Supreme Court, which is represented by seven justices, one who is the Chief Justice. The Judiciary system has a Court of Appeals, Superior Court, District Court, and Municipal Court.

Culture
The culture in Puerto Rico is very complex ,or so called, colorful. Because Puerto Rico has had many differnet races and cultures visit its own land, many different cultures are now found all over the island. The food in Puerto Rico is a mix of Spanish, Taino, African, and American. The Indians that lived their had many fruits and vegitables in their diet, but when the Spanish came, they brought much pork, beef, rice, and wheat to their culture. Later, the Spanish brought sugarcane and African slaves with them, who brought okra as well. After a certain amount of time, America took over the island and added many of its different foods into the mix, and that is why the food has such a variety. Much of the music in Puerto Rico is not a formal music at all, but what was started hundreds of years ago. Many of the Indians, such as the Taino Indians, still bring their culture to Puerto Rico. Classical music seems to be the only formal music that is popular in Puerto Rico. It was brought to the island by many different Americans, mainly Christains. The music there seems to revolve mainly around the island's folk music, and the music that was started there many centuries ago.

Art is one of the strongest cultures in the country. Santos is a popular form of folk art used in Puerto Rico, and it comes from a Spanish background. The word santos means "saints" in spanish, and they are sculpture like arts depicting people and figures. Masks worn during festivals and carnivals are very popular also. Paintings seem to be the most popular Spanish art found in Puerto Rico. Many famous artists, like Jose` Campeche, have came from Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has over a dozen art museums and gallaries to show off all of their wonderful works of art.

Tourism
Tourism is is one of the main producers of revenue for Puerto Rico due to its natural wonders, artistic and historic sites and buldings, and diverse concert and sporting events. The main reason that tourism is so high in Puerto Rico is because of one thing. American citizens do not need a passport to enter Puerto Rico, therefore, the process of entering the country is much easier. Many Americans spend their summers at the wonderful beaches and historic sites of Puerto Rico, and it is not as dificult to get a high quality vacation as it is with other countries in the Carribean. Puerto Rico Convention Center and Flamenco Beach. (One of the top rated beaches in the world) Beaches seem to be the most popular thing in Puerto Rico. They are clean, fun, and beautiful. The scenery is amazing around the beach, and the water is crystal clear. Also, there are many beautiful mountain ranges and tropical forests in Puerto Rico that can be exciting to visit. History is also another attraction found in Puerto Rico. From fun and adventurous historic cities to dark and ancient ruins found deep within the island, history can be found all over the place. One of the most interesting places to visit is Mosquito Bay on the southern tip of the island. It was recorded as the brightest bay in the world by Guiness World Book of Records in 2008. The reason for this glow is because of small organisms found in the water called Dinoflagellates. When they come in contact with another organism or are shaken, they produce a glowing light. So when all of these organisms glow together, it leaves a huge glow in the water, and it lights up the entire bay, making the experience magical. Pictures of Mosquito Bay

=Current Events=

Current event #1:
Puerto Rican officials decided to unveil a statue of President Obama for Presidents Day. The statue is one of eight others representing the Presidents that have visited the island. Many people are saying it is a great honor to have some of the presidents represented by the island. Some representatives are saying it is an honor to have a statue of President Obama because he helped Puerto Rico a lot during the economic downturn. This seems to be a good idea until we realize that Puerto Ricans don't even get to vote for the U.S. President. Many people are complaining that there is no reason to erect statues of presidents who they can't even vote into office. It isn't only the voting that is making some people mad, but it is the representation. Puerto Ricans are given the right to American citizenship, but they don't have any electives in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. They are complaining that if they are given citizenship and are erecting statues of American presidents, they should have the rights of representation and voting. Puerto Rico is on the verge of becoming the 51st U.S. State, but there is no real push for it right now. If it does, however, it will add almost 4 million people to our population, and add more people to the U.S. Congress. It will also eliminate the issue of voting and representation. [|Puerto Rico (Rollin)]

Current Event #2:
There is a new law that was now passed in Puerto Rico for anyone planning to run for office. This includes governors, mayors, or legislatures. They must now turn in a form of their taxes from the past ten years to even run for office. People are saying it is a good idea because people running for office should be held at a higher standard. If you plan on running for any other public office spots, you have to turn in tax returns from the past 5 years. This announcement was made before the Carribean elections start to give all runners a warning. It is a great idea to keep all corrupt runners out of office. [|Puerto Rico (Rollin)]

=Sources:=

[] [] [] [] [] [] World Book Encyclopedia