Puerto Rico

I

Introduction

Puerto Rico, freely associated commonwealth of the United States, composed of one large island and several small islands. Officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico), Puerto Rico is bordered on the north by the Atlantic Ocean; on the east by the Virgin Passage (which separates it from the Virgin Islands); on the south by the Caribbean Sea; and on the west by the Mona Passage (which separates it from the Dominican Republic).

Puerto Rico became a US commonwealth on July 25, 1952. It was claimed by the explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493 and was subsequently a Spanish possession before the United States gained control in 1898. Its name, Spanish for “rich port”, was first applied to its capital, known as San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico in the 16th century. Gradually, the city came to be called San Juan and the island Puerto Rico. The name formerly was spelled Porto Rico. Puerto Rico is sometimes called the “Island of Enchantment”. Its major cities are San Juan (the capital as well as the largest city), Bayamon, Carolina, Ponce, Caguas, and Mayagüez.

II

Land Area

With an area of 9,104 sq km (3,515 sq mi), Puerto Rico is one of the larger islands of the West Indies, and the commonwealth also includes several small islands, such as Culebra, Mona, and Vieques. It is located about 1,610 km (1,000 mi) south-east of Florida and is almost twice as far from the mainland of North America as it is from South America. Puerto Rico is roughly rectangular in shape; its greatest east to west distance is about 180 km (110 mi), and its extreme north to south distance is about 65 km (40 mi). The highest point is Punta Peak at 1,338 m (4,389 ft). Its coastline measures some 501 km (311 mi).

A

Physical Geography

Puerto Rico is mountainous. The Central Mountains form an east-to-west backbone that extends almost the entire length of the island. The average elevation of these mountains, which include the Cordillera Central and the Sierra de Luquillo, is about 915 m (3,000 ft). Although the mountains and adjacent foothills cover most of Puerto Rico, on the northern side of the island lies a coastal plain up to about 19 km (12 mi) wide, and a narrower coastal plain up to about 13 km (8 mi) wide extends along the southern coast. For most of its length the mountain system is nearer the southern coast than the northern coast, and the slopes are generally steeper on the southern side. At the eastern end of the island, however, the mountains curve towards the north-eastern corner.

Puerto Rico has many relatively short rivers and streams. Some of the rivers are dammed for hydroelectric power and thus have small lakes along their courses. One such body of water is Lago de Yauco, on the Yauco River. The longest river is the Grand de Arecibo, which flows to the northern coast. Other rivers include the Grand de Añasco, Bayamón, Cibuco, Culebrinas, and La Plata. None of the rivers is navigable by large vessels.

B

Climate

Puerto Rico is a mountainous, tropical island directly in the path of the trade winds. These conditions account for its tropical rainforest and tropical wet and dry climates. Except at night, in the highest areas, the air is always warm. There is little difference from season to season in the energy received from the Sun, and the length of the day remains fairly constant throughout the year. In addition, the average temperature of the seawater surrounding the island is about 27° C (81° F), with little variation during the course of the year. Trade winds reaching Puerto Rico from the east blow over this warm water and carry the warmth over the land. The mean annual temperature at San Juan, in the north, is about 26° C (79° F); the recorded temperature in the commonwealth has ranged from 4.4° C (40° F) in 1911 at Aibonito to 39.4° C (103° F) in 1906 at San Lorenzo. Puerto Rico is sometimes struck by damaging hurricanes travelling from the east, especially from August to October.