238 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
238 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
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(commonwealth associated with the US)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 9,104 km2; land area: 8,959 km2
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Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode
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Island
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 501 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature
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variation
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Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north;
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mountains precipitous to sea on west coast
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Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore
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and offshore crude oil
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Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures
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41%; forest and woodland 20%; other 22%
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Environment: many small rivers and high central mountains ensure
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land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain
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belt in north
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Note: important location between the Dominican Republic and the
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Virgin Islands group along the Mona Passage--a key shipping lane to the
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Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in
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the Caribbean
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PEOPLE
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Population: 3,294,997 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
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Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Puerto Rican(s); adjective--Puerto Rican
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Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic
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Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other
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15%
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Language: Spanish (official); English is widely understood
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Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1980)
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Labor force: 1,068,000; government 28%, manufacturing 15%,
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trade 14%, agriculture 3%, other 40% (1990)
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Organized labor: 115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the
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General Confederation of Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
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Type: commonwealth associated with the US
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Capital: San Juan
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Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with
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the US)
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Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
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Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3
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July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
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National holiday: Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
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Legal system: based on Spanish civil code
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Executive branch: US president, US vice president, governor
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Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an
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upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January
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1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);
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Head of Government Governor Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (since 2
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January 1989)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon;
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New Progressive Party (PNP), Carlos ROMERO Barcelo;
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Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan MARI Bras and Carlos
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GALLISA;
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Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS Martinez;
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Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown
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Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US
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citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
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Elections:
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Governor--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November
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1992);
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results--Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar CORRADA Del Rio
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(PNP) 45.8%, Ruben BERRIOS Martinez (PIP) 5.5%;
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Senate--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November
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1992);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1;
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House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be
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held 3 November 1992);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2;
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US House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be
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held 3 November 1992); results--Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting
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representative
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Other political or pressure groups: all have engaged in terrorist
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activities--Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN), Volunteers of
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the Puerto Rican Revolution, Boricua Popular Army (also known as the
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Macheteros), Armed Forces of Popular Resistance
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Member of: ECLAC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WFTU, WTO (associate)
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Diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the
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US)
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Flag: five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom)
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alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
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bears a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the
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US flag
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the
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Caribbean region. Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary
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sector of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free
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access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily
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in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. Important new industries include
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pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, and processed
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foods. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other
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livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural
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sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income
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for the island. The economy is slowly recovering from the disruptions
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caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. The tourism infrastructure
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was especially hard hit.
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GNP: $20.1 billion, per capita $6,100; real growth rate 3.6% (FY89)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.3% (October 1989-90)
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Unemployment rate: 14.9% (October 1990)
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Budget: revenues $5.5 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (FY89)
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Exports: $16.4 billion (f.o.b., FY89);
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commodities--pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna,
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rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment, instruments;
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partners--US 87%
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Imports: $14.0 billion (c.i.f., FY89);
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commodities--chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products;
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partners--US 60%
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External debt: $NA
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Industrial production: growth rate 1.6% (FY89)
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Electricity: 4,149,000 kW capacity; 14,844 million kWh produced,
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4,510 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics,
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apparel, food products, instruments; tourism
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Agriculture: accounts for 3% of labor force; crops--sugarcane,
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coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock--cattle, chickens;
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imports a large share of food needs
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Economic aid: none
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Currency: US currency is used
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Exchange rates: US currency is used
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Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 100 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane;
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no passenger railroads
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Highways: 13,762 km paved
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Ports: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
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Airports: 33 total; 23 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: 900,000 or 99% of total households with TV;
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1,067,787 telephones (1988); stations--50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV (1990)
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 830,133; NA fit for military
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service
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Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
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