Puerto Rico

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Introduction

County Name: Puerto Rico

Capital: San Juan

Major Languages: English and Spanish

Location (continent): North America

Population: 3.548 million

Life expectancy: 78.54

Average age: 39.5 years

Geography: Major Landforms

Origin - Puerto Rico consist of fragments of continent carried on a

basement of Pacific Ocean crust.

Mountains - Mountains make up most of Puerto Rico's terrain, and the

Central Mountains run almost the entire length of the island from east
to west.

Karst - Karst indicates limestone landscape melted into a terrain of

caves, sinkholes, towers and ridges, as well as uniquely Puerto Rican
magotes, or "haystack" hills. A karst plateau from 140-million-year-old
seabed covers one-third of the island at 100 to 700 feet elevations in
the northern mountains.

Coastal Plains - A ribbon of beach and sand dunes backs Puerto Rico's
698 miles of shoreline, and a narrow coastal plain rests between
beaches and mountains.

Major Architectural and

Geographical Landmarks

Castillo San Felipe del

Morro

Located in the capital

city, it is an excellent
first pick amongst the
islands principle
landmarks. This fort has
stood since 1540,
protecting citizens from
atop a craggy
promontory jutting out
from the northwest edge
of the city.

Iglesia Porta Coeli

In San German, the second
oldest city in Puerto Rico,
this historic place is found.
It is one of the cities chief
landmarks, as the oldest
church anywhere in the
Americas, built in 1606.
Masses are only held three
times per year, but the
church is open to visitors
continuously, with many
sacred objects and artifacts
lining its walls.

Tibes and Caguana

Puerto Rico's Taino hertiage is best
preserved in two different locations, Tibes
and Caguana. Tibes, located north of
Ponce, has many replicas of Taino
dwellings and is the location of historic
ceremonies. Caguana, an ancient
ceremonial site, is located just off
Highway 111, near Arecibo.

Major Bodies of Water

The island is located in the

Caribbean, between the
Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean.

Puerto Rico has lakes and

more than 50 rivers. Most of
these rivers are born in the
Cordillera Central, Puerto
Ricos principle mountain
range located across the
center of the island.

Major Cities of Puerto Rico

San Juan

Bayamn

Carolina

Climate

Puerto Rico is situated in the tropics and surrounded completely by

water, its classified as tropical marine. Characteristics of this type of
climate include small seasonal variations and a high relative humidity.
The prevailing winds, known as trade winds, blow from the east and
moderate temperatures so that the island rarely experiences extremes
of either heat or cold.

Average yearly rainfall: On the northern coast 1550 mm per year, while
the south coast has an annual average rainfall of 910 mm. The
mountains receive a lot more rainfall, between 3000 and 4000 mm
annually.

Average temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)

Climate change will affect tourism, an important source of revenue for

islands. In Puerto Rico, 3.5 million tourists spent $3.5 billion in 2009

Culture

Government - Puerto Rico is a self-governing commonwealth in

association with the United States. The chief of state is the
President of the United States of America. The head of
government is an elected Governor. There are two legislative
chambers: the House of Representatives, 51 seats, and the
Senate, 27 seats.

Major religions - The Constitution guarantees freedom for all

faiths. The major religions are: Catholic (85%), Protestants (8%),
non religious (2.3%), and others (3%).

Culture continued

Clothing - Light and loose cotton clothing is the best bet year-round
for Puerto Rico's warm tropical climate. The guayabera is the most
well-known garment from Puerto Rico. A kind of tailored shirt for
men, it has patch pockets on the front and is usually worn over an
undershirt.

Folk music - During Puerto Rico's colonial years, a series of musical

traditions evolved based on the folk songs and romantic ballads of
18th- and 19th-century Spain. Puerto Rican folk music would
comprise the primarily Hispanic-derived jbaro music, the AfroPuerto Rican bomba, and the essentially "creole" plena.

Food - Although Puerto Rican cooking issomewhatsimilar to both

Spanish, Cuban and Mexican cuisine, it is a unique tasty blend of
Spanish, African, Tano, and American influences.

Interesting Facts

Transportation - You can get to Puerto Rico by air, or by sea.

Once you arrive on the Island you can rent a car or use their
public transportation system. Driving is on the right-hand side of
the road. All the same rules as any part of the United States,
except that the signs are in Spanish, the distance markers in
kilometers and the gas sold in liters.

Laws - You must be 18 years old to purchase liquor in stores or

buy drinks in hotels, bars, and restaurants.

Puerto Ricos Flag

The white star stands for the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico while
the three sides of the equilateral
triangle together represent the three
branches of the Republican
government (executive, legislative
and judicial branches). The three red
stripes symbolize the blood that
feeds those parts of the government.
The two white stripes symbolizing
the rights of man and the freedom of
the individual.