Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/196.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 8.8 KB | 341 lines

@node Header (Puerto Rico)
@section Header (Puerto Rico)

@display

Affiliation:
  (commonwealth associated with the US)



@end display

@node Geography (Puerto Rico)
@section Geography (Puerto Rico)

@display

Location:
  in the North Atlantic Ocean, between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin
  Islands group
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
 total area:
  9,104 km2
 land area:
  8,959 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  501 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 continental shelf:
  200 m (depth)
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
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
Natural resources:
  some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore crude oil
Land use:
 arable land:
  8%
 permanent crops:
  9%
 meadows and pastures:
  41%
 forest and woodland:
  20%
 other:
  22%
Irrigated land:
  390 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered;
  south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Note:
  important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the
  Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the
  Caribbean



@end display

@node People (Puerto Rico)
@section People (Puerto Rico)

@display

Population:
  3,797,082 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.13% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  16.93 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  7.88 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -7.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  14 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  73.84 years
 male:
  70.25 years
 female:
  77.61 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.08 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Puerto Rican(s)
 adjective:   Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions:
  Hispanic
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
Languages:
  Spanish (official), English widely understood
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
 total population:
  89%
 male:
  90%
 female:
  88%
Labor force:
  1.17 million (1992)
 by occupation:
  government 20%, manufacturing 14%, trade 17%, construction 5%,
  communications and transportation 5%, other 39% (1992)



@end display

@node Government (Puerto Rico)
@section Government (Puerto Rico)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 conventional short form:
  Puerto Rico
Digraph:
  QR
Type:
  commonwealth associated with the US
Capital:
  San Juan
Administrative divisions:
  none (commonwealth associated with the US), note: there are 78
  municipalities
Independence:
  none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Constitution:
  ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25
  July 1952
Legal system:
  based on Spanish civil code
National holiday:
  US Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Political parties and leaders:
  National Republican Party of Puerto Rico, Freddy VALENTIN; Popular
  Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon; New Progressive Party (PNP),
  Carlos ROMERO Barcelo; Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan MARI Bras
  and Carlos GALLISA; Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS
  Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown
Other political or pressure groups:
  all have engaged in terrorist activities - Armed Forces for National
  Liberation (FALN); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution; Boricua
  Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Armed Forces of Popular
  Resistance
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do
  not vote in US presidential elections
Elections:
 Governor:
  last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results -
  Pedro ROSSELLO (PND) 50%, Victoria MUNOZ (PPD) 46%, Fernando MARTIN (PIP) 4%
 Senate:
  last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (27 total) seats by party NA
 US House of Representatives:
  last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) seats by party NA; note -
  Puerto Rico elects one representative to the US House of Representatives,
  Carlos Romero BARCELO
 House of Representatives:
  last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (53 total) seats by party NA
Executive branch:
  US president, US vice president, governor
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a
  lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court



@end display

@node Government (Puerto Rico 2. usage)
@section Government (Puerto Rico 2. usage)

@display

Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President
  Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
 Head of Government:
  Governor Pedro ROSSELLO (since NA January 1993)
Member of:
  CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, IOC, WCL,
  WFTU, WHO (associate), WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Flag:
  five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white;
  a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large white
  five-pointed star in the center; design based on the US flag



@end display

@node Economy (Puerto Rico)
@section Economy (Puerto Rico)

@display

Overview:
  Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region.
  Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary sector of economic
  activity and income. Encouraged by duty free access to the US and by tax
  incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s.
  US minimum wage laws apply. Important industries include pharmaceuticals,
  electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, and processed foods. Sugar production
  has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main
  source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been
  an important source of income for the island, with estimated arrivals of
  nearly 3 million tourists in 1989.
National product:
  GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $22.8 billion (1991)
National product real growth rate:
  2.2% (FY90)
National product per capita:
  $6,200 (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.3% (October 1990-91)
Unemployment rate:
  17% (1992 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $5.8 billion; expenditures $5.8 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $258 million (FY89)
Exports:
  20.4 billion (1990)
 commodities:
  pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage
  concentrates, medical equipment, instruments
 partners:
  US 87.8% (1990)
Imports:
  16.2 billion (1990)
 commodities:
  chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
 partners:
  US 66.6% (1990)
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate 1.2% (FY92)
Electricity:
  5,040,000 kW capacity; 16,100 million kWh produced, 4,260 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  manufacturing accounts for 55.5 % of GDP: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals,
  electronics, apparel, food products, instruments; tourism
Agriculture:
  accounts for only 3% of labor force and less than 2% of GDP: crops -
  sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock - cattle,
  chickens; imports a large share of food needs (1992)
Economic aid:
  none
Currency:
  US currency is used
Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June



@end display

@node Communications (Puerto Rico)
@section Communications (Puerto Rico)

@display

Railroads:
  96 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger
  railroads
Highways:
  13,762 km paved (1982)
Ports:
  San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
Airports:
 total:
  30
 usable:
  23
 with permanent-surface runways:
  19
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  3
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  5
Telecommunications:
  modern system, integrated with that of the US by high capacity submarine
  cable and INTELSAT with high-speed data capability; digital telephone system
  with about 1 million lines; cellular telephone service; broadcast stations -
  50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV; cable television available with US programs (1990)



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Puerto Rico)
@section Defense Forces (Puerto Rico)

@display

Branches:
  paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 830,133; fit for military service NA (1993 est.)
Note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US



@end display