Category: Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean Sea towards the west of Virgin Island and east of Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico is a territory of US but not incorporated with the country. Puerto Rico is an archipelago with Puerto Rico as the major island and numerous smaller islands. The largest islands among these small islands are Mona, Culebra and Vieques. In Greater Antilles, Puerto Rico is the smallest island in terms of land area but ranks third in terms of population among the four island group which include Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba. The island is also known as ‘Borinquen’ and meaning of the word is “Land of Valiant Lord”.

The first inhabitants of the island were Ortoiroid people and then by the Arawak Indians. Arawak Indians called the island ‘Borinquen’. Puerto Rico is a republic under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of US. The republican system consists of three branches such as legislative, judicial and executive. Head of the state is President of United States and the executive power is vested on the Governor. Legislative power is vested on Senate and the House of Representatives. Chief Just of Supreme Court heads the judicial branch.

Economy of Puerto Rico was mainly dependent on agriculture and the main crop was sugarcane. Agriculture is now replaced by manufacturing industry. According to the World Bank, Puerto Rico is considered as high income country. Another major source of income is the tourism. The population of Puerto Rico is more than 3.5 million in which 76.2% are whites of Spanish origin and other races include Blacks, Asians, Amerindians, Mixed and others. English and Spanish are the official languages of Puerto Rico and primary language is Spanish. The predominant religion of Puerto Rico is the Roman Catholicism. Other religious practices are Jewish, African, Mita, Tibetan Buddhism and Islam.

Puerto Rico is a civilized tourist spot that welcomes the tourists with hospitality. You can find great many things to explore in Puerto Rico. San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico where you can find natural harbor which is one among the best and biggest in Caribbean. San Juan consists of old region and new region. The old region is declared as the National Historic Zone and you can explore Bacardi Rum Distillery, Pablo Casals Museum, Casa Blanc, Casa del Libro, Arecibo Observatory and Luis Munoz Marin Park. Puerto Mosquito Bay is considered as one of the 50 top romantic destinations in the world.

Mona Island is the secluded island inhabited with wildlife. One of the favorite destinations of the beachgoers and hikers is the Caja de Muertos Island which is not inhabited by people and this is a protected island due to the traffic of native turtle. Rio Camuy Caverns provides you a walking tour through the Cueva Clara, a main cave which consists of the third largest underground river of the world and a huge sinkhole. Other place that are worth visiting in Puerto Rico are Botanical Gardens, Luquillo Mountains, The Museum of Art, Espiritu Santo River, Green Beach, Ponce, La Parguera, Vieques Bay and Blue Beach.