After Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493, the island was colonized in 1508, and the capital city of San Juan founded in 1521.
As a result of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico was relinquished to the USA by Spain in 1898. Today it is a self governing (very independent-minded) territory of the USA, and enjoys much autonomy.
The climate is usually hot and humid, with some lower temperatures found in the higher elevations. Like most Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico is subject to an occasional hurricane warning (May - October).
Compared to other islands in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico has a high standard of living with a vibrant industrialized economy. More quick facts .
Hispanic, Afro-Caribbean and North American influences meld in Puerto Rico . It is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands.
The Capital is San Juan. The official language is Spanish and English.
The President is Barack Obama . As of Nov. 2016, it's Donald Trump.
Puerto Ricans are by law natural-born citizens of the United States; they have been citizens of the U.S. since 1917, and may move freely between the island and the mainland. As it is not a state, Puerto Rico does not have a vote in the United States Congress, which governs the territory with full jurisdiction under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950. However, Puerto Rico does have one non-voting member of the House called a Resident Commissioner. As residents of a U.S. territory, American citizens residing on the island are disenfranchised at the national level and do not vote for president and vice president of the United States, and only some residents pay federal income tax. Like other territories and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico does not have U.S. senators. Congress approved a local constitution in 1952, allowing U.S. citizens of the territory to elect a governor.
The Country profile , the CIA Factbook.
