Puerto Rico Isla del Encanto ( The enchanted island) By Señora Casalduc

Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

País : Estado libre asociado de Puerto Rico Capital: San Juan de Puerto Rico Nacionalidad: Puerto Riqueño

Important facts about Puerto Rico: Area: 9,104 km2 (169th) Population: 3,994,259 Moneda: Dólar Americano(USD) Provinces: 78 municipalities Language: Spanish and English Día de la constitución : Julio 25 L í der: el presidente de los Estados Unidos de Norte America

Puerto Rico is a self- governing commonwealth in association with the United States. The chief of state is the President of the United States of America. The head of government is an elected Governor. The current governor is Alejandro Garcia Padilla.

Economía Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. Tourism (turismo) is the number one source of income for the island. Dairy production (l á cteos) and livestock (ganado) are two other important economy resources. The principal livestock are cattle, pigs and poultry.

Capital: San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico and the most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, with a population of two million. The city was founded in 1508, by Juan Ponce de León. It is also Puerto Rico's main port of entry and has one of the best harbors in the Caribbean.San Juan

Flora Several thousand varieties of tropical plants grow in Puerto Rico, including the kapok tree (" Ceiba ") with its thick trunk, the Poinciana (a prickly tropical shrub with brilliant reddish blossoms), the breadfruit ( fruto de pan ), and the coconut palm ( palma de coco ).

Fauna There are few animals native to the island. The Coquí (little frog) and the Cotorra Puertorique ña (Puerto Rican Parrot) live only in hidden areas of the Caribbean National Forest. The Puerto Rican Parrot is bright green, about a foot in length, with red forehead, blue primary wing feathers, and flesh-colored bill and feet. There are 17 different species of Coquí. The Coquí can only survive in the tropical weather of Puerto Rico. Coquí is a national symbol.

National Flower: Flor de Maga Puerto Rican hibiscus (Thespesia grandiflora; Maga grandiflora; Montezuma National Bird: Reina Mora Spindalis portoricensis (formerly called the Stripe- headed Tanager (Spyndalis zena portoricensis)

Arecibo Important cities and landmarks Arecibo (ah-re-SEE-boh) Arecibo is the largest city in geographical size on the island. Located in the Northern Coastal Valley region. Arecibo Observatory is a astronomical observatory, which is one of the world's most powerful radar-radio telescopes, and the largest single-unit radio telescope in the world. Ponce (PON-sai) Ponce is Puerto Rico's second largest city (San Juan is the first). The world class Ponce Museum of Art is the only museum of stature, and houses the most extensive art collection in the Caribbean.

Puerto Rican Cuisine (Comida típica) Puerto Rican cooking is a unique tasty blend of Spanish, African, Taíno, and American influences, using indigenous seasonings and ingredients as coriander, papaya, cacao, nispero, apio, plantains, and yampee. Locals call their cuisine "cocina criolla". Puerto Ricans daily diet includes rice and beans with meat (chicken, pork, beef and fish), and as a side dish tostones ( fried plantains)

Bomba y Plena Baile típico Bomba y Plena Bomba and Plena are two different types of music that are coupled with dance. Bomba pure African, was brought over by black slaves who worked on the island's sugar plantations in the 17th century. It's a rhythmic music using barrel-shaped drums covered with tightly stretched animal skins and played by hand. The drums are accompanied by the rhythmical beating of sticks and maracas to create a swelling tide of drumbeats, in which "aficionados" can hear drummers bang out a series of responses one to another. Plena is described as a dialogue between dancer and drummer. It's as if the drummer were challenging the dancer to a rhythmic duel. The dance can go on just a long as the dancer can continue.

Música típica : Salsa Puerto Rico’s most important type of music is salsa, the rhythm of the islands. Its name literally translated as the "sauce" that makes parties happen. Originally developed within the Puerto Rican community of New York, it draws heavily from the musical roots of the Cuban and the African-Caribbean experience. Highly danceable, its rhythms are rhythmically sophisticated, and compelling. Today, the center of salsa has probable shifted from New York back to Puerto Rico. Marc Anthony is one of the biggest national and international Salsa singers of the island. Taking his inspiration from greats such as Tito Puente, Ruben Blades, and Juan Gabriel, Marc Anthony released his first Spanish- language album in 1993.

Famous people Ricky Martin has the world singing Living La Vida Loca, winner of the 1999 Grammy Award for "Best Latin Pop Performance" and named by the Los Angeles Times as "The Latin Artist to Watch for 1999." Ricky Martin is now -without a doubt- one of the most famous Latin artist in the world. Roberto Clemente played with the Brooklyn Dodgers' minor league team before making his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in He led the National League in batting four times during the 1960s. He became the first Hispanic player to reach 3,000 hits, including 240 home runs. He died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972, on his way to bring much needed supplies to survivors of an earthquake in Nicaragua. The next year he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Don’t forget to visit Puerto Rico You don’t need a passport

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