Puerto Rico

By: Tori Brown

Geography/Location

• Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean.

• It is found between the bulk of Hispaniola (shared by Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the tiny archipelagos of the US Virgin Islands.

• The Atlantic Ocean is to the north and the Caribbean Sea is to the south.

Geography/Location cont.

• The small islands of Vieques and Culebra (to the east) and Mona (to the west) are also Puerto Rican territory.

Government

• The government type of Puerto Rico is commonwealth of the United States.

• The Governor (head of government) is Aníbal Acevedo Vilá.

• The President (head of state) is George W. Bush.

Currency

• Their monetary system is the US Dollar (US$).

• On the front of the bill is Juan Ponce de Leon.

• On the back is the Stripe-headed Tanager bird, the Puerto Rican Hibiscus flower, the Spanish Castle of El Morro (built between 1539 and 1584) and Coqui.

School

• Free public education is provided by the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for elementary, intermediate and high-school students.

• The school terms in Puerto Rico public schools begin in August through mid-December and January through late May. Education in the public school system is conducted in Spanish. English is taught as a second language.

Natural Resources

• The natural resources of Puerto Rico are copper and nickel: potential for onshore and offshore oil.

Family

• Just as there is no typical American family, there is no typical Puerto Rican family; wide differences exist in the way they feel about the education of their children, religion, food, and even women’s liberation!

Tourist Attractions

• Puerto Rico has many beautiful attractions for visiting.

History

• On Sept. 5, 1852 a hurricane struck Puerto Rico.

• On March 1, 1859 the telegraph lines were formed.

Food

• They eat foods such as pastels, lechón asado, arroz con dulce, tembleque, and coquito.

The End