Puerto Rico
in Caribbean
North America

National active POI
Location Summary
Currency and Currency Code:
Dollar - USD
Spoken languages:
English, Spanish
Local electricity:
120 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B)
Mobile phone / cellular frequencies (MHz):
850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G
ISO 2-Letter code:
PR
Internet top level domain:
.pr
Country phone prefix:
+1-787 and +1-93
Local Time (capital):
Timezone:
UTC/GMT offset: hours
Current travel safety evaluation for Puerto Rico in Caribbean

Safety Score: 4,0 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning please reconsider your need to travel to Puerto Rico.

Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning Puerto Rico. Last Update: 2024-08-13 08:21:03

Explore Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico with its capital San Juan is located in North America (Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 9,105 square kilometers (slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island) with 3,351,830 citizens. English and Spanish are the common languages used in Puerto Rico. Thiscountry has no land-based border with any other country.

Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island that is a self-governing commonwealth of the United States of America. The island of Puerto Rico is a rectangular shape and is the smallest, most eastern island of the Greater Antilles. It measures almost 580 km of coast. There is plenty to do outside the metropolitan areas. Many small family owned tour companies provide guided tours of the Central Mountains in Utuado near Río Tanama, Repelling in Arecibo, kayak tours of Lake Guajataka, and horse back riding on the beach in Aguadilla. Whether you're dreaming about spectacular surfing waves, a challenging golf course, or the perfect sunbathing beach, Puerto Rico offers the active traveler a tremendous array of opportunities. Surfing and golf compete with tennis, fishing, kayaking, scuba diving, and horseback riding, not to mention windsurfing and parasailing, for your active time. The island has over 15 championship golf courses a short drive away from the San Juan metropolitan area.

Popular Destinations in Puerto Rico

 

Aguadilla
 

Arecibo
 

Bayamón
 

Mayagüez
 

Ponce
 

San Juan

Administrative regions of Puerto Rico

About the country

The topography is mostly mountains with coastal plain in north with precipitous mountains to the sea on west coast as well as sandy beaches along most coastal areas. The average density of population is about 368 per km². The climate in Puerto Rico can be described as tropical marine, mild with little seasonal temperature variation. Potential natural disasters are hurricanes periodic droughts

To reach someone Puerto Rico dial +1-787 and +1-93 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".pr". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 120 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B). The sign for the locally used currency Dollar is USD.

Five equal horizontal bands of red (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; the white star symbolizes Puerto Rico; the three sides of the triangle signify the executive, legislative and judicial parts of the government; blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters; red symbolizes the blood shed by warriors, while white represents liberty, victory, and peace.

Flag of Puerto Rico

Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following 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 providing 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. 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. The trend has accelerated since 2010; in 2014, Puerto Rico experienced a net population loss to the mainland of 64,000, more than double the net loss of 26,000 in 2010. Hurricane Maria struck the island on 20 September 2017 causing catastrophic damage including destruction of the electrical grid that had been cripled by Hurricane Irma just two weeks before. It was the worst storm to hit the island in eight decades and damage is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 171) 9,104sq km
Land (World Rank: 169) 8,959sq km
Water (World Rank: 140) 145sq km
Forest (World Rank: 130) 9.80%
Comparative slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Coastline
501
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 150) 1,338m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 158) 22.00%
Arable (World Rank: 139) 6.60%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 55) 5.60%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 130) 9.80%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 134) 220sq km
Map reference
Central America and the Caribbean
Environment
Issues
  • - occasional drought causing water shortages
  • - soil erosion
Hazzards
  • - hurricanes
  • - periodic droughts
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Climate
tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
mostly mountains with coastal plain in north; precipitous mountains to the sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas

People

Population
Total (World Rank: 134) 3,351,830
Deathrate (World Rank: 76) 0.86%
Birthrate (World Rank: 219) 0.81%
Growthrate (World Rank: 227) -1.74%
Migration rate (World Rank: 182) -1.69%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 217) 1.22%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 43) 39.50
Female (World Rank: 35) 43.20
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 146) 270,656
0 14 female (World Rank: 145) 258,073
15 24 male (World Rank: 138) 233,667
15 24 female (World Rank: 137) 225,812
25 54 male (World Rank: 137) 607,954
25 54 female (World Rank: 134) 669,149
55 64 male (World Rank: 116) 198,720
55 64 female (World Rank: 113) 234,713
65 x male (World Rank: 89) 281,413
65 x female (World Rank: 89) 371,670
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 156) 0.74%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 32) 81years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 23) 84years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 40) 78years
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 27) 99.30%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 120) 93.60%

Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 74) 20,000,000,000kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 71) 19,000,000,000kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 48) 96.40%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 139) 1.80%
Source renew (World Rank: 121) 1.80%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 73) 133,700bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 89) 6,060bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 43) 150,000bbl / day
Natural gas
Consumption (World Rank: 88) 1,663,000,000m³
Import (World Rank: 19) 0m³
Carbon footprint
19000000

Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 24) 6% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 52) -1% of GDP
National symbol
Puerto Rican spindalis
National colours
white
Adjective
Puerto Rican
Noun
Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
Background
Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following 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 providing 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. 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. The trend has accelerated since 2010; in 2014, Puerto Rico experienced a net population loss to the mainland of 64,000, more than double the net loss of 26,000 in 2010. Hurricane Maria struck the island on 20 September 2017 causing catastrophic damage including destruction of the electrical grid that had been cripled by Hurricane Irma just two weeks before. It was the worst storm to hit the island in eight decades and damage is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.
Flag description
five equal horizontal bands of red (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; the white star symbolizes Puerto Rico; the three sides of the triangle signify the executive, legislative and judicial parts of the government; blue stands for the sky and the coastal waters; red symbolizes the blood shed by warriors, while white represents liberty, victory, and peace

Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 80) 128,700,000,000USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 203) -2.60%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 45) 37,700USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 203) 0.80%
Source industry (World Rank: 8) 50.20%
Source service (World Rank: 181) 48.50%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 141) 1,139,000
Products
Industries
  • - apparel
  • - electronics
  • - food products
  • - pharmaceuticals
  • - tourism
Agriculture
  • - bananas
  • - chickens
  • - coffee
  • - livestock products
  • - pineapples
  • - plantains
  • - sugarcane
Exports
  • - apparel
  • - beverage concentrates
  • - canned tuna
  • - chemicals
  • - electronics
  • - medical equipment
  • - rum
Imports
  • - chemicals
  • - clothing
  • - equipment
  • - fish
  • - food
  • - machinery
  • - petroleum products

Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 85) 813,546
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 74) 23.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 146) 90.00
Assessment 0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 97) 2,873,900
Population (World Rank: 42) 80.30%

Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 87) 17.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 125) 12.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 100) 26,862
Popular places in this country

This is a list of famous places in this country in alphabetical order.