NA

Government
Puerto Rico

Country name:

conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conventional short form: Puerto Rico

Dependency status:

unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President

Government type:

commonwealth

Capital:

name: San Juan geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no
first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular -
municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas
Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta,
Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas,
Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio,
Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama,
Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao,
Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las
Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca,
Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce,
Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San
German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa
Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja,
Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

Independence:

none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

National holiday:

US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25
July (1952)

Constitution:

ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952

Legal system:

based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:

chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012) election results: Luis FORTUNO elected governor with 52.8% of the vote, he will take office on 2 January 2009

Legislative branch:

bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held November 2012); House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNP 22, PPD 5; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNP 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)

Political parties and leaders:

National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National Republican Party
of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP
[Pedro ROSSELLO] (pro-US statehood); Popular Democratic Party or PPD
[Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA] (pro-commonwealth); Puerto Rican Independence
Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] (pro-independence)

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution

International organization participation:

Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)

Flag description:

five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

Economy
Puerto Rico

Economy - overview:

Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, recovered in 2004-05, but declined again in 2006-07.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$72.61 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$NA (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

-1.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$18,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1% industry: 45% services: 54% (2002 est.)

Labor force:

1.3 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 3% industry: 20% services: 77% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:

12% (2002)

Population below poverty line: