Puerto Rico was 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. In addiction to a governor, Puerto Rico has a bicameral legislature. The capital is San Juan. Puerto Ricans also elect, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives. About four million people live on the island; another three-and-a-half million live on the mainland, mostly in the Tri-State Area in the northeast and in central Florida.
The CIA says Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far 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 with estimated arrivals of more than 3.6 million tourists in 2008. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, recovered in 2004-05, but declined again in 2006-08.
Street crime is a significant problem in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is easily reached from the mainland by many major east coast airports. It is also a popular cruse ship destination.
History books of the 1950s state that the indigenous population was nearly exterminated, however, that recently was found not to be true. The did abandon their culture and dress, to avoid detection by the Spaniards. Most headed inland and settled in the mountain region, marrying with the locals. DNA tests have shown that nearly 40% of the island's population has been found to have some Taíno blood.
ReplyDeleteBesides dairy production, and other livestock products, such as mead and eggs, the island's southcoast, towns such as Santa Isabel, Salinas, Guánica, are nos major vegetable and fruit producers (tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, cabbage, watermelon, etc.), and several major US producers of genetically modified seed companies, such as Monsanto, have farms in that region.