Puerto Rico is a commonwealth associated with the United States. Discovered by Columbus in 1493, the island was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. A popularly elected governor has served since 1948. In plebiscites held in 1967 and 1993, voters chose to retain commonwealth status. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 1,000 miles east-southeast of Miami, Florida. A possession of the United States, it consists of the island of Puerto Rico plus the adjacent islets of Vieques, Culebra, and Mona.

Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has surpassed agriculture as the primary locus 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. 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 5 million tourists in 1999. Prospects for 2000 are good, assuming continued strength in the tourism and construction sectors and continuation of the US boom.

Under the Commonwealth formula, residents of Puerto Rico lack voting representation in Congress and the right to participate in presidential elections. Also, funding caps limit their access to several key federal programs. As U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans are subject to military service and most federal laws.

GOVERNMENT
Country name (conventional long form): Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Capital: San Juan
Governor: Sila María Calderón (2001)
House of Representatives: Congressional Delegate