PUERTO RICO.....
the pearl of the Caribbean

INTRODUCTION
Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: "Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" literally Associated Free State of Puerto Rico), is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the north eastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

Puerto Rico (Spanish for "rich port") comprises an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands, the largest of which are Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. The main island of Puerto Rico is the smallest by land area of the Greater Antilles. It, however, ranks third in population among that group of four islands, which also include Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica.

Originally populated for centuries by indigenous aboriginal peoples known as Taínos, the island was claimed by Christopher Columbus for Spain during his second voyage to the Americas. Under Spanish rule, the island was colonized and the indigenous population was forced into slavery and nearly wiped out. The remaining island population was emancipated by King Carlos I in 1520. Spain possessed Puerto Rico for over 400 years, despite attempts at capture of the island by France, the Netherlands, and England.

The relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States has its origins dating back to the Spanish-American War, in which Spain ceded the islands to the U.S. in 1898. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and the United States Congress legislates many aspects of Puerto Rican life. However, the islanders may not vote in U.S. presidential elections.Since 1947, Puerto Ricans have been able to elect their own governor. The official languages of the country are Spanish and English, with Spanish being the primary language