Data at glance of Puerto Rico - average on period

History

Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, Puerto Rico was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 after Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted that provided for internal self-government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood. A referendum held in late 2020 showed a narrow preference for statehood. Economic recession on the island has led to a net population loss since about 2005, as large numbers of residents moved to the US mainland. In 2017, Hurricane Maria was the worst storm to hit the island in eight decades, and damage was estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.

Environment

Area: 9,104 sq km km2

Climate: tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Ethnic characteristics

Groups: White 75.8%, Black/African American 12.4%, other 8.5% (includes American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islander, and others), mixed 3.3% (2010 est.)

Languages: Spanish, English

Religions: Roman Catholic 56%, Protestant 33% (largely Pentecostal), other 2%, atheist 1%, none 7% (2014 est.)

Government

Capital: San Juan

Government type: unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; note - reference Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act, 2 March 1917, as amended by Public Law 600, 3 July 1950

Executive branch

Chief of state: President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)

Head of government: Governor Jenniffer GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN (since 2 January 2025)

Legislative branch

Description: Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa) - bicameral

Industries

pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism

GDP by sector: Agriculture: 0.7% (2024 est.), Industry: 48% (2024 est.), Services: 51.5% (2024 est.)

Trade

Export partners: Italy 15%, Netherlands 15%, Belgium 9%, Japan 8%, Germany 8%, Austria 8%, Spain 7%, China 5% (2019)

Export commodities: packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, hormones, orthopedic and medical appliances, sulfur compounds (2019)

Import partners: Ireland 38%, Singapore 9%, Switzerland 8%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Import commodities: nitrogen compounds, sulfur compounds, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines, cars (2019)

Geography

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic