Capital
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name: San Juan
geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 66 07 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Country Name
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conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico
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Dependency Status
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unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President
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Type of Government
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commonwealth
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Background
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Populated 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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Branches
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no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 19.4% (male 393,582/female 376,652)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,266,086/female 1,364,918)
65 years and over: 14.5% (male 247,842/female 328,583) (2010 est.)
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Languages
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Spanish, English
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Population
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3,977,663 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions
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Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
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Internet Users
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1 million (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
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Area
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total: 13,790 sq km
land: 8,870 sq km
water: 4,921 sq km
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Terrain
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mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
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Climate
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tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
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Natural Hazards
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periodic droughts; hurricanes
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