Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean that is a commonwealth of the United States. It has a tropical climate with mountainous terrain and many beaches. Spanish is the primary language, but English is also official. The economy relies on agriculture like coffee and sugarcane as well as mining. Baseball is very popular culturally.

1. http://ntsmith.glogster.com/puerto-rico-5258/

2. Location and Climate
• Puerto Rico is an island that lies between the
Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean.
• The total area of the island is 3, 508 square miles.
• The mainland of Puerto Rico can be compared as
three times the size of the state of Rhode Island.
• The climate in Puerto Rico is
tropical.
• The rainy season is from
April-November.
• Throughout the year, the
average temperature is about
82 degrees.

3. Geography
• The terrain is mountainous but also has many
beaches that attract tourists each year.
• The Cordillera mountain range is the most
important range in Puerto Rico.
• There are also many farms and plantations in
Puerto Rico that produce popular crops such
as tobacco, sugarcane, and coffee.

4. Government
• Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States of America.
• Therefore, they also follow the President and the laws of the U.S..
• However, Puerto Rico has its own elected Governor because the
people cannot vote in the election for the President.
• The current Governor is Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset who was
inaugurated on January 2, 2009.
• Puerto Rico has control over all of its internal affairs unless they
violate the United States constitutional laws.
• Puerto Rico usually does not receive the same revenues that many
states do and lacks representation in both the Senate and the
House of Representatives.
• In addition to following the government of the United States,
Puerto Rico has its own three branch government.

5. Government (continued…) and Currency
• The Executive branch is made up of the elected Governor (who
is elected for four terms, like the president) and his cabinet.
• The Legislative branch is made up of the Senate and the
Chamber of Representatives that are picked to represent a
district of the country.
• The Judiciary branch has a Supreme court made up
of 7 judges that are chosen by the Governor.
• There are also Superior courts and District Courts that are split
throughout the 12 districts.
• The currency of Puerto Rico is the U.S. dollar.
• Similar to U.S. states, there was a collectors coin that was made
for the commonwealth.

6. Natural Resources
• Puerto Rico has many useful natural resources
such as nickel, copper, and oil.
• These important and popular resources help
the Puerto Rican economy to flourish.
• Sand and gravel are also helpful to the
economy and are vital in constructing
buildings.
• Many of the natural resources are captured
through mining.
• The United States government controls all
mining in the territory.

7. Education
• In Puerto Rico, education is very important.
• Like the U.S., school is necessary from 6 to 17 years of age.
• There is 6 years of primary school and then 2 sets of 3 years of
secondary school.
• In Puerto Rico there are over 50 college institutions for those
people who want to continue schooling past the age of 17.
• Public schools teach the students in Spanish;
however, English is a required class from start
through high school.
• There are English based private schools
in many areas that are taught fully in English
with Spanish as a second language classes.

8. Family and Culture
• The average family in Puerto Rico consists of 3.5 people.
• Most families are Catholic (85% of people) but all religions are
accepted because of the constitution.
• Mostly all Puerto Ricans speak Spanish as a first language, but
English is also the official language of the country.
• Many Puerto Ricans consider family to be the most important
thing in their lives.
• Families are expected to give each other emotional and material
support.
• Children and adults spend their free time playing popular sports
that are the same as many of us play.
• The most popular sport in Puerto Rico is baseball.

9. Tourist Attractions
• Playa de Luquillo is said to one of the most beautiful beaches on
the island and is close to the capital, San Juan.
• Casa Blanca is located in San Juan and was built in 1521 as a
reward for Ponce de León. It later became a station for both
the Spanish and American military but now only stands as a
historical building and tourist attraction.
• Igelsia de San José was built in 1532 by Dominican friars. It is
known as the second oldest church in the western hemisphere
and for more than 300 years, the Spanish explorer Ponce de
León was buried here.
• La Coca Falls is a gorgeous waterfall that is located in El Yunque
National Park. It is an 85 foot high fall that cascades into
boulders; it is one of the first and most beautiful things people
will see when visiting El Yunque.

10. History
• Puerto Rico was first inhabited by the Arawak Indians.
• However, during Columbus's exploration, the Taínos culture
was prominent in the country.
• The island, although considered part of the New World, was
not found by Columbus.
• It was unofficially claimed by Spain because of its actual
founder, Juan Ponce de León.
• Puerto Rico has a convenient location between Europe and
South/Central America.
• For this reason, it was a military post for many countries
during times of war.
• After the Spanish-American war, in 1898, Puerto Rico came
into the United States possession and in 1917, Puerto Ricans
were granted U.S. citizenship.

11. Food
• Many Puerto Rican dishes can be traced back
to the Arawak and Taínos cultures.
• Chicken, fish and shellfish, egg, vegetables,
and plantains are main ingredients used in the
dishes.
• The national drink of Puerto Rico is rum;
however, they enjoy drinking coffee, and
other alcoholic beverages.

12. Works Cited
• Coins | Coin Update. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. <http://coins.coinupdate.com>.
• "Culture of Puerto Rico - Traditional, History, People, Clothing, Traditions, Women, Beliefs, Food,
Customs, Family, Social, Marriage, Men, Life, Immigrants, Wedding, Population, Religion." Countries and
Their Cultures. Web. 12 Apr. 2010. <http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Puerto-Rico.html>.
• Janssen, Sarah, ed. "Nations of the World." The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2010. New York:
Infobase, 2009. 735-36. Print.
• Online University Degree Search - U.S. University Directory - State Universities and College Rankings.
Web. 12 Apr. 2010. <http://www.stateuniversity.com>.
• PlanetWare Travel Guide - Hotels, Attractions, Pictures, Maps & More. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.planetware.com>.
• "Puerto Rican Flag." Lonely Planet Travel Guides and Travel Information. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.lonelyplanet.com>.
• Safra, Jacob E., and Jorge Aguilar-Cauz, eds. "Countries of the World- Puerto Rico." Time Almanac.
2009. Print.
• “US GEOGRAPHY - EnchantedLearning.com." ENCHANTED LEARNING HOME PAGE. Web. 12 Apr.
2010. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa>.
• USGS Publications Warehouse. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. <http://pubs.usgs.gov>.