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 Puerto Rico Country Profile
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 Puerto Rico at a Glance| 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 belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas | | Resources: | some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil | | Hazards: | periodic droughts; hurricanes | | Population: | 3,971,020 (July 2009 est.) |
A Brief Profile of Puerto RicoPopulated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following 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.
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