Puerto Rico.Loads of facts and info.

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Puerto Rico is an interesting place to learn Spanish. It literally means ‘rich port’.

When learning Spanish, or any other language it is imperative to get a period of Total immersion to improve your rate of learning and to improve your understanding of the language.

This is best achieved by living in a totally Hispanic environment for a while, the longer the better, and during this period, you need to force yourself to speak Spanish!

It is the best way to consolidate your learning of a language, especially if combined with:

•   . . . and a good onsite course with a good teacher who can correct your mistakes, walk through the most important topics and give you guidance and feedback on your language learning.

•   vocabulary learning system (if you are not learning learning Spanish vocab at 200 words a day you are using an outdated system)

. . .so with a few days of study you should have a solid base of 1,000 plus words of Spanish vocab! A couple of weeks will see you with a base knowledge of 2,000 – 3,000 words. This is entirely possible now with modern software.

•   a good grammar learning system,

•   a good Spanish learning course,

•   a good Spanish learning book, CD’s or cassettes,

•   a good Spanish dictionary,

For more information on how to learn Spanish in Puerto Rico in a Total Immersion Spanish language school click on the link.

Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico!

Information on Puerto Rico

Claimed by Spain in 1493 by Columbus on his 2nd voyage to the Americas. The locals were nearllyl wiped out and many Africans settled as a result of the slave trade.

Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States as a result of the Spanish-American Warin 1898.

1917 Puerto Ricans were granted United States citizenship.

Geography information on Puerto Rico

Geographical Position: Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic (island)

Latitude & Longitude: 18 degs 15 North, 66 deg 30 West

Area:Total: 9,104 square kilometres
Water: 145 square kilometres
Land: 8,959 square kilometres

Length of Coast: 501 kilometres

Climatic Characteristics: tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain Features: Mountainous, coastal plains in north.

Elevation highs & lows: lowest elevation: Caribbean Sea at sea level
highest elevation: Cerro de Punta 1,335 metres.

Country’s Natural resources: nickel, copper; oil

Land use:
cultivated land: 3%
cropping land: 5%
other: 91% (1998 estimate)
Irrigated land: 400 square kilometres
(1998 estimate)
Natural geographical risks: periodic droughts; hurricanes

Geography information on Puerto RicoMona Passage is an important shipping lane to the Panama Canal

People information on Puerto Rico

Population : 3,800,000

Age Distribution:
under age 14 yrs: 22%
between 15 & 64 yrs: 65%
age 65+: 11%

Median age:
Total: 33 years male: 31 years
female: 34 years (2002)

Population rate growth: 0% (2003 estimate)
Birth Rate: : 15 births per thousand population (2003 estimate)
Mortality Rate: : 7 deaths per thousand (2003 estimate)
Rate of Net Migration: -1 migrant(s)per thousand population (2003 estimate)
Infant mortality rate : Total: 9 deaths per thousand live births female: 8 deaths per thousand live births (2003 estimate)
male: 10 deaths per thousand live births

Life Expectancy: : Total population: 77 years male: 73 years
female: 81 years (2003 estimate)
Total fertility rate : 2 children born/woman (2003 estimate)
Name of people: Puerto Rican

Racial groupings: white (predominantly Spanish descendants) 80%, mixed and other 10%, black 8%, Amerindian below 1%, Asian below 1%,

Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%

Languages: Spanish, English

Literacy: : definition: age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 93% male: 93% female: 94% (2001)

Government information on Puerto Rico

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Dependency status:Commonwealth associated with the United States

System of Government : Commonwealth

Capital City: San Juan

National holiday: United States Independence Day, 4th July 1776; Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25th July 1952.

Constitution: 1952

Legal & Law System: : Spanish civil code and United States Federal

Voting systemUniversal at 18 years

Head of State : United States President (Puerto Ricans do not vote for United States Pres) but vote for Governor elected 4-year term;

Head of government: GovernorCabinet of country: Cabinet appointed by Governor.

Economy information

Puerto Rico is one of the strongest economies in the Caribbean area.

Broad industrial sector with duty-free access to the United States . Tax incentives have encouragedd United States firms to invest in Puerto Rico in the last 40 years.

Tourism is a strong sector. 5 million tourists.

Gross Domestic Product - Puerto Rico: - $USD45 billion (2002 estimate)
Gross Domestic Product growth rate : 0% (2002 estimate)
Gross Domestic Product - per capita : - $USD11,500 (2002 estimate)
Gross Domestic Product make-up by sector:
agriculture sector : 1%
industrial sector: 45%
service sector: 54% (1999 estimate)
Population below level of poverty: NA%

Labour force : 1 million (2000)

Labour force - by occupation: agriculture sector 3%, industrial sector 20%, service sector 77% (2000 estimate)
Unemployment rate : 12% (2002)

Budget Figures:
revenues: $USD6 billion expenditures: $USD9 billion,

Industries:
pharmaceuticals, electronic appliances, textile and apparel, food processing; tourism

Exports : $USD46 billion (2001)

Exports - partners: United States 88%, United Kingdom 1%, Dominican Republic 1% (2001)

Imports $USD29 billion (2001)

Currency: United States dollar (USD)

Currency code: USD

Communications information on Puerto Rico

Telephones - main lines 1.2 million

Radio broadcast stations: AM 72, FM 17, SW 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations: 18 (1997)

Internet Code : .pr

Transport, Tourism, Travel to Puerto Rico

Railways : Total: 96 kilometres

Roading : Total: 14,400 kilometres
paved roading: 14,400 kilometres
unpaved roading: 0 kilometres
(1996)

Navigable Waterways : nil

Commercial Harbours/Ports : Arecibo, Puerto Aguadilla, Puerto Fajardo, Guayanilla, Puerto Guayama, Guanica, Puerto Mayaguez, San Juan, Puerto Playa de Ponce

Airports-Aerodromes : 31 (2002)

Military information on Puerto Rico

Military groupings & departments : no military forces; National Guard, Police

Military – defence is controlled by United States

Puerto Rican Flag

Click here for the Puerto Rican Flag.

Puerto Rican Map

Click here for the Map of Puerto Rico.

History of Puerto Rico

Click here for the History of Puerto Rico.

Info sourced and adapted from the CIA Factbook .

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Andorra | Argentina | Belize | Bolivia | Colombia | Chile | Costa Rica | Cuba | Dominican Republic | Ecuador | El Salvador | Gibraltar | Guatemala | Honduras | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | Peru | Spain | Uruguay | Venezuela |

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