Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico), is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean Sea. This means that it belongs to the United States and citizens of Puerto Rico are citizens of the United States as well. Puerto Rico is not an independent country, but like all populated U.S. territories, it has more autonomy than U.S. states. There has been a movement for independence for almost two centuries. There have been protests, votes, and armed attacks for independence. Puerto Rico has about 3.3 million (3,300,000) people. Its political system is based on a republican system. It has two official languages: Spanish and English, but Spanish is almost only used by the government, the legislature and the judiciary (courts). Spanish is also the main language of the school curriculum, though English is taught in all schools as a second language (from grade 1 to 12). Puerto Rico is one of two U.S. territories where the metric system is officially used and is dominant. (The other is Guam, which was also a Spanish colony. The metric system was introduced to both territories, before they became U.S. territories.) Spanish is spoken by 94.7% of the population and English is spoken by 5.3% of the population as a mother language. The currency used is the United States dollar. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico includes the largest, main island and a number of smaller islands, including Mona, Vieques, and Culebra. Of those three smaller islands, only Culebra and Vieques are populated all year. Mona is unpopulated, but employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources sometimes visit the island to inspect it and its wildlife. People can visit the island for hiking and camping by getting the permission needed. San Juan, on the northern side of the main island, is the island's largest city and the capital of the territory. Puerto Rico means "rich port" in Spanish. On May 3, 2017, Puerto Rico filed for bankruptcy after a massive debt and weak economy. It is the largest bankruptcy case in American history. Etymology Puerto Rico means "rich port" in Spanish. Puerto Ricans often refer to the island as Borinquen. This name comes from Borikén, which is the Indigenous Taíno name for the island. It is commonly said to mean "Land of the Valiant Lord." The terms boricua, borinqueño, and borincano are used to describe people of Puerto Rican heritage. These terms come from the names Borikén and Borinquen. Columbus named the island San Juan Bautista to honor Saint John the Baptist. He called the capital city Ciudad de Puerto Rico, which means "Rich Port City." Over time, traders and visitors began to refer to the whole island as Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, San Juan became the name for the main trading port and the capital city. The island's name was changed to Porto Rico by the United States after the Treaty of Paris of 1898. The anglicized name was used by the U.S. government and private enterprises (also Porto in Italian, French, and Portuguese). The name was changed back to Puerto Rico in 1931 by a joint resolution in Congress introduced by Félix Córdova Dávila. Puerto Rico is officially known as Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico in Spanish, which means "Free Associated State of Puerto Rico," and as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in English. Luis Muñoz Marín, who designed this system, proposed the Spanish name. A constitutional assembly adopted it on July 25, 1952. Some people believe the term "Commonwealth" is misleading and suggests that it hides uncomfortable truths. Puerto Rico is still a territory of the United States. It has considerable self-government but is still subject to U.S. law in matters like foreign affairs and defense. Therefore, it is not recognized as a fully independent associated state by either international law or U.S. law. Status Puerto Rico is one of the unincorporated territories of the USA. These are organized, self-governing territories with locally elected governors and legislatures. Because it is not a state, its citizens can not vote in U.S. national elections unless they have an address in one of the 50 US states. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and can move to or from the 50 states. Puerto Rico elects a Resident Commissioner to the U.S. House of Representatives. Puerto Rico, however, do not elect senators to the United States Senate, where only U.S. states are represented. In 2022, the United States Supreme Court held that the territorial clause of the U.S. constitution allows wide congressional latitude in mandating "reasonable" tax and benefit schemes in Puerto Rico and the other territories that are different from the states, but the Court did not address the incorporated/unincorporated distinction. As a result, the status quo remains, so the U.S. government still defines the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as a U.S. unincorporated territory. History The history of Puerto Rico began when the Ortoiroid people started living in the island between 3000 and 2000 BC. Other tribes, for example the Saladoid and Arawak Indians, lived in the island between 430 BC and 1000 AD. When Christopher Columbus arrived at the island in 1492 and named it San Juan Bautista, the people living there were the Taínos. Since it is in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico formed an important part of the Spanish Empire from the early years of the exploration, conquest, and colonization of the New World. The Spanish spread race-based slavery across the island. In the 19th century, slave revolts and the abolitionist movement brought an end to legal slavery. The island was a major military post during many wars between Spain and other European countries for control of the region in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. In 1898, during the Spanish-American war, Puerto Rico was invaded and became a possession of the United States. In 1901, the U.S. Congress, influenced by the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled that for purposes of the Uniformity Clause of the Constitution, Puerto Rico belonged to the United States, but was not considered part of the United States. During the 20th century, Puerto Rico's political status changed from time to time. The Foraker Act of 1900 created a civil government to replace the military government made after the Spanish–American war, and the Jones Act of 1917 gave Puerto Rican people United States citizenship. Afterwards. In 1932, the name Porto Rico was changed to Puerto Rico. in 1952, the drafting of Puerto Rico's own Constitution and democratic elections were established. In 1936, the U.S. Senator Millard Tydings presented a legislative proposal to grant independence to Puerto Rico, but many people believed that it had unfavorable economic conditions. A 1948 law called the Ley de la Mordaza (Gag Law) made it illegal to speak in favor of Puerto Rican independence or even display the Puerto Rican flag. This law, implemented by the U.S. colonial government, was used to persecute and imprison Puerto Rican independence leaders, instilling fear in the population, and discouraging any form of nationalist and patriotic expression. The political status of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth controlled by the United States, is still not completely defined. Many people want to resolve this status, while others want the status to remain the same. Of the people who want to change the status, some want Puerto Rico to become a new U.S. state, while others want Puerto Rico to become a fully independent country. The Official Languages Act of 1902 declared English and Spanish co-official languages in all government departments, courts, and island administrations. Then, in 1993, Puerto Rico adopted both languages as official languages of the Puerto Rican government. In May 2022, Members of Congress sponsoring competing bills on how to resolve Puerto Rico’s territorial status and its relationship to the U.S. have come together to introduce new legislation combining both. The proposed legislation combines elements of the pro-statehood bill introduced by Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., and Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez, Puerto Rico’s nonvoting member of Congress and a Republican, alongside the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act from Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez, both New York Democrats. The draft legislation says that a plebiscite to resolve Puerto Rico’s political status shall be held on November 5, 2023.[1] On December 15, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the Puerto Rico Status Act. The act sought to resolve Puerto Rico's status and its relationship to the United States through a binding plebiscite. In March 2025, members of Congress pressured President Donald Trump to consider making Puerto Rico an independent nation. A draft executive order suggests making Puerto Rico an independent nation. In June 2025, the United Nations adopted a resolution in favor of self-determination and independence for the state of Puerto Rico. Geography Puerto Rico is an archipelago, with a main island where most of the population lives, two smaller islands (Vieques and Culebra) with residents, and many other smaller islands. The main island has a mountain range in the center, which covers most of the island. The highest point is Cerro de Punta at 1,338 meters (4,390 feet) above sea level. Political parties Puerto Rico has three main political parties: the Puerto Rican Independence Party, which favors Puerto Rico becoming an independent nation; the The Not So "New" neither "Progressive" Party, which supports Puerto Rico's transition to becoming a state of the United States; and the Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico), which supports Colonialism with the word "sovereignty" but in paper. (also known as: "to remain as a territory or a Territorial Autonomy"). The total of political parties that Puerto Rico currently have is 5. • Pro-Statehood Party: New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) (PNP) • Pro-ELA Party: Popular Democratic Party (PPD) • Pro-Independence Party: Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) And the other 2 parties with some various and status support: • Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana (MVC) • Proyecto Dignidad (PD) The issue of the political status of the island (meaning whether it's a country, a U.S. state, or a colony) is an issue of debate amongst the Puerto Rican people. In the past there have been many attempts to clearly define the island's political status by means of voting. Most of the time the majority of the people have chosen to remain a colony. However, in the last "status voting" the colonial option appeared to have lost well over 90% of its support, while the U.S. state option has only gained strength in the last few decades. The Puerto Rican Independence party, on the other hand, has mainly lost a great deal of support within the last six decades (60 years). Demographics Puerto Rico is said to comprise a White majority, an extinct Amerindian population, persons of mixed ancestry, Africans and a small Asian minority. Recent genetic research, however, contradicts that information. According to the 2010 US Census, 99% of the population consider themselves of Puerto Rican descent (regardless of race or skin color), making Puerto Rico one of the most culturally unified societies in the world. The population of Puerto Rico is nearly about 4 million people. The ethnic composition of the population is: 60% Mixed 30% White 10% Black Culture Language Spanish and English are the official languages of Puerto Rico, with Spanish remaining the primary language of the island's government and public affairs. In schools, the official language of instruction is Spanish, but English is a required course in the local education system. Only a quarter of Puerto Ricans living in Puerto Rico are fluent in English. Donald Trump's executive order recognizing English as the official language of the American territory, has called into question the provision of services to non-English speakers in federal offices, such as Social Security, in the United States and in Puerto Rico, where Spanish is the official language, and common to the Associated Territory of the state Puerto Rico. Literature Puerto Rico has a strong literary tradition. The most important playwrights are René Marqués (author of "The Oxcart") and Lin Manuel Miranda (creator of the Broadway musical "Hamilton"). The most famous poets are Julia de Burgos ("Yo fui mi ruta") and Giannina Braschi (author the poetry epic "Empires of Dreams"). Celebrated Puerto Rican novelists include Rosario Ferre (Eccentric Neighborhoods), Giannina Braschi (United States of Banana), and Esmeralda Santiago (When I Was Puerto Rican). Puerto Rican poets who live in New York are called Nuyorican poets. Art José Campeche (1751-1809) is the first known Puerto Rican painter. He painted in the best rococo style. Franciso Oller painted Puerto Rican landscapes and still life paintings the 19th Century. In the 20th century Franciso Rodón who paints portraits of celebrities. In the 21st century, Allora and Calzadilla are conceptual artists in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Music Puerto Rico music is often called Latin music. There are many popular styles of Puerto Rican dance music, including Salsa, Bomba, Plena, and Reggaeton. Historically, one of the most popular modern bands was Calle 13. More recently, musicians like Bad Bunny have achieve global recognition. Other world famous Puerto Rican singers include Jennifer Lopez, Hector Lavoe, Tito Puentes, and Marc Anthony. Ricky Martin won the 1999 Grammy Award for "Best Latin Pop Performance" for Living La Vida Loca. Philosophy Puerto Rican philosophy deals with Puerto Rican independence, education, racism, and liberty for all. The first major Puerto Rican philosopher was Eugenio María de Hostos. He was born in the 19th Century in Puerto Rico. He believed that Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba should unite to be free from Colonial powers. Francisco José Ramos was born in the 20th century. His philosophy deals with Ancient Greeks, American imperialism, and Buddhism. Giannina Braschi is a contemporary political philosopher. She writes about freedom, immigration, revolution, and justice. Braschi was inspired by a major Mexican woman philosopher Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz. Puerto Rican philosophers are sometimes called Latin American philosophers. Related pages List of rivers of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico at the Olympics Puerto Rico national football team Puerto Rican Literature https://islandsofpuertorico.com/puerto-rico-flag/ Archived 2019-03-09 at the Wayback Machine Notes References