About Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
The tropical island of Puerto Rico is located in the middle of the Caribbean Basin, between the Greater Antillean island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic & Haiti), and a chain of Lesser Antillean islands to its east, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico (Spanish for “Rich Port”), was originally populated by Taíno Indians before Christopher Columbus claimed it for Spain during his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Spain continuously possessed the island, successfully fighting off French, British and Dutch attempts to invade Puerto Rico over the centuries. However, Spain’s colonization of Puerto Rico ended after the Spanish-American War of 1898, with control of the island being ceded to the U.S. military. Since then, Puerto Rico has remained under U.S. rule, with the island’s residents becoming U.S. citizens in 1917 (under the Jones Act), done in part to facilitate enlistment of young Puerto Ricans into military service during World War I. The island itself is used by the military for strategic purposes, with various bases throughout Puerto Rico, ensuring effective U.S. control of the Caribbean Basin.
The island’s current political status is “Commonwealth” (“Estado Libre Asociado” in Spanish), meaning that locals can vote for their own governor and local representatives, but cannot take part in U.S. Presidential elections nor have legislators in Congress. Puerto Rico’s official languages are English and Spanish – with Spanish being more widely spoken throughout the island.
With Puerto Rico’s economy being based in agriculture by the early 20th century (with sugar being its major crop), the island’s economy was eventually transformed into manufacturing (with investments in capital-intensive industries such as pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and technology). With its location in the heart of the Caribbean and tropical weather all-year round, tourism eventually became a major part of Puerto Rico’s economy, with a steady stream of media promotions conducted in the U.S. mainland and elsewhere.
Puerto Rico offers visitors a range of activities – from beach-related pursuits (from swimming to surfing, kite-surfing and diving), to exploration of the country’s rich Spanish colonial past (particularly in Old San Juan and its fortress, El Morro), sports (mainly baseball, along with extreme sports), eco-tourism, nightlife and shopping. Over the years, Old San Juan has been a major port-of-call for cruise ship lines operating in the Caribbean.