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

Geographic Coordinates: 18 15 N, 66 30 W

Total Area: 13,790 sq km Rank: 162

Land Area: 8,870 sq km

Water Area: 4,921 sq km

Comparison: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island

Land Boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 501 km

tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas

Lowest Point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Highest Point: Cerro de Punta 1,339 m

some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Arable land: 3.69%

Permanent Crops: 5.59%

Other: 90.72% (2005)

Irrigated Land: 400 sq km (2003)

Natural Hazards: periodic droughts; hurricanes

Environmental Issues: erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages

important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north

Population: 3,966,213 (July 2010 est.) Rank: 128

0-14 years: 19.8% (male 402,473/female 384,655)

15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,260,191/female 1,361,359)

65 years and over: 14.1% (male 239,957/female 317,578) (2010 est.)

Median Age: 35 years

Growth Rate: 0.298% (2010 est.) Rank: 172

Birth Rate: 11.72 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 170

Death Rate: 7.78 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 111

Net Migration Rate: -0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 117

Urban Population: 98% of total population (2008)

Rate of Urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 163

Life Expectancy at Birth: 78.52 years Rank: 42

Fertility Rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 179

HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate NA

People living with HIV/AIDS: 7,397 (1997) Rank: 115

HIV/AIDS Deaths: NA

Noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)

Adjective: Puerto Rican

Ethnic Groups: white (mostly Spanish origin) 76.2%, black 6.9%, Asian 0.3%, Amerindian 0.2%, mixed 4.4%, other 12% (2007)

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

Languages: Spanish, English

Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 94.1% Male: 93.9% Female: 94.4% (2002 est.)

Education expenditures: NA

Conventional Long Form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Conventional Short Form: Puerto Rico

none (territory of the US with commonwealth status); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco

Chief of State: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)

Head of Government: Governor Luis FORTUNO (since 2 January 2009)

Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature

Elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Puerto Rico, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held on 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)

Election Results: Luis FORTUNO elected governor with 52.8% of the vote

bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Elections: Senate - last held on 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012); House of Representatives - last held on 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2012)

Election Results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 81.5%, PPD 18.5%; seats by party - PNP 22, PPD 5; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 72.5%, PPD 27.5%; seats by party - PNP 37, PPD 14

Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate)

Political Parties and Leaders: National Democratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP [Pedro ROSSELLO] (pro-US statehood); Popular Democratic Party or PPD [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA] (pro-commonwealth); Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] (pro-independence)

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders: Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution

International Organization Participation: Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WFTU

Flag Description: five equal horizontal bands of red (top 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

Note: design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

GDP (purchasing power parity): $67.82 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 82

GDP - real growth rate: -3.7% (2009 est.) Rank: 176

GDP - per capita (PPP): $17,100 (2009 est.) Rank: 69

GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 1% Industry: 45% Services: 54% (2005 est.)

Labor Force: 1.479 million (2007) Rank: 131

Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 2.1% Industry: 19% Services: 79% (2005 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 12% (2002) Rank: 131

Population below poverty line: NA