San Juan
facts


Puerto Rico has managed to combine its long storied history with the status of a top-flight resort island, and has done so in a masterful way. With approximately 300 miles of coastline, the island attracts beach lovers from around the globe. And with over 500 years of history, there is so much to see and do here besides soak in the tropical sun's rays.

The Taino Indians, who called the land Boriken, which means, "the great land of the valiant and noble Lord", originally inhabited Puerto Rico. When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493, he was greeted by the natives, who showed him all of the gold nuggets in the land and told Columbus he was free to take as many as he wanted. Originally, the Spaniards named the island San Juan after St. John the Baptist, and the city Puerto Rico, or "rich port." The two names were eventually switched. In March 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson signed a law stating that Puerto Rico was now a US territory, organized but unincorporated, and all Puerto Ricans were thereby American citizens.

San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital city, stands as a microcosm of the islands rich duality. Old San Juan has buildings still standing from the days of the early Spanish explorers. At the same time, gigantic hotel and casino complexes, appealing to the high-rolling jet set, dot other parts of San Juan.

San Juan is easily broken up into several smaller sections, each with its own character. Geographically, San Juan Island, which contains Old San Juan and Santurce, bound Condado. South of Condado is Miramar, which is located right on the lagoon. East of Old San Juan is Puerto de Tierra, and finally there is Isla Verde, a little detached from the rest.

Remember that Puerto Rico is part of the United States, so American citizens do not need passports to enter and exit the island. Another advantage American travelers have is duty-free shopping, so feel free to hunt for all the good values found in San Juan's many shops.

Casinos are almost as plentiful as beaches here. It could take weeks to experience everything there is to do here. The beautiful beaches, the exciting water sports, the fine dining, and the great shopping blend effortlessly with the island's rich history to make Puerto Rico the shining star of the Caribbean.

Geography
Puerto Rico is a mountainous island with little flat land. It is divided into three main geographic regions: the mountainous interior, the northern plateau and the coastal plains. The central mountain range which is known as the Cordillera Central rises to 1,338 meters at Mount Punta, the country's highest peak. The northern plateau is crossed by small hills and towards the interior the land is covered by hillocks and gullies. The coastal plains are discontinuous particularly at the eastern and western ends of the island where hilly spurs run down to the sea. Puerto Rico has many rivers and streams. The capital of Puerto Rico is San Juan.

History
The early inhabitants of Puerto Rico migrated from either southern Florida or the Orinocco River basin of South America. When the Spaniards landed there in 1493 the island was occupied by Arawak and Carib Indians. In 1508 Ponce de Leon founded the town of Caparra and initiated the first efforts at gold mining and agriculture. However, Puerto Rico remained largely undeveloped economically until the late 18th century.

After 1830 the island developed a plantation economy founded on three export crops: sugar cane, coffee and tobacco. Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States at the end of the Spanish American War. The country experienced a population explosion in the 20th century, growing by more than 300 % since 1899. The 1950's saw the beginning of Puerto Rican emigration to the US mainland which continued until the mid-sixties when there was reverse migration with more Puerto Ricans returning home than leaving the island.

Economy
Manufacturing is the most productive sector of the economy accounting for some 40% of the GDP. The services sector ranks second in its contribution to the GDP and employment in this sector (including finance, insurance, real estate, wholesale and retail trade, hotels and related services and other services) is relatively high and shows continued growth. Tourism continues to play a major role in the economy and contributes significantly to GDP.

Agriculture accounts for a very small percentage of the GDP. Coffee, tobacco, starchy vegetables, pineapple and citrus fruits are grown commercially while the principal livestock are cattle, pigs and poultry. The main exports are manufactured goods, pharmaceutical products, chemicals, clothing, electrical/electronic machinery, refined petroleum, petroleum products and professional and scientific instruments. It is estimated that Puerto Rico produces more than 15% of the pharmaceuticals marketed globally. The United States is the island's chief trading partner accounting for over 80% of Puerto Rican exports and 65 per cent of its imports.

People & Culture
The people of Puerto Rico are the homogeneous products of a mixture of diverse ethnic strains mainly Spanish and African. Although Spanish and English are both official languages, Puerto Rico remains predominantly Spanish- speaking. Most of the population is Roman Catholic. The country is also an ebullient mixture of Antillean, African, Spanish and North American cultural influences although the main language is Spanish.

The Puerto Rico Institute of Culture and the Ateneo Puertorriqueno preserve artifacts and traditions reaching back to the culture of the pre-Columbian Arawak (Taino) Indians. Music is widely performed and the world-famous Festival Casals ( after 1956) was the inspiration for the establishment of the Casals Museum in San Juan, commemorating the cellist Pablo Casals. Other perform arts including theater and television are very active. Fiestas are held regularly throughout the island. American holidays such as July 4th and Thanksgiving are celebrated in Puerto Rico. Baseball and basketball are very popular and many Puerto Rican players play in the big American leagues. Cockfighting and horse racing also attract large crowds in Puerto Rico.