Portal:Puerto Rico


Puerto Rico (Spanish for 'Rich Port'; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a self-governing Caribbean archipelago and island organized as an unincorporated territory of the United States under the designation of commonwealth. Located about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida, between the Dominican Republic in the Greater Antilles and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Lesser Antilles, it consists of the eponymous main island and numerous smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. With approximately 3.2 million residents, it is divided into 78 municipalities, of which the most populous is the capital municipality of San Juan, followed by those within the San Juan metropolitan area. Spanish and English are the official languages of the government, though Spanish predominates.

Puerto Rico was settled by a succession of Amerindian peoples beginning 2,000 to 4,000 years ago; these included the Ortoiroid, Saladoid, and Taíno. It was claimed by Spain following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493 and subsequently colonized by Juan Ponce de León in 1508. Puerto Rico was contested by other European powers into the 18th century but remained a Spanish possession for the next 400 years. The decline of the Indigenous population, followed by an influx of Spanish settlers, primarily from the Canary Islands and Andalusia, and African slaves vastly changed the cultural and demographic landscape of the archipelago. Within the Spanish Empire, Puerto Rico played a secondary but strategically significant role compared to larger and wealthier colonies like Peru and New Spain. By the late 19th century, a distinct Puerto Rican identity began to emerge, centered on a fusion of European, African, and Indigenous elements. In 1898, following the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico was acquired by the United States.

Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917 and can move freely between the archipelago and the mainland. However, residents of Puerto Rico are disenfranchised from federal elections and generally do not pay federal income tax. In common with four other territories, Puerto Rico sends a nonvoting representative to the U.S. Congress, called a Resident Commissioner, and participates in presidential primaries; as it is not a state, Puerto Rico does not have a vote in the U.S. Congress, which oversees it under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950. Congress approved a territorial constitution in 1952, allowing residents of the archipelago to elect a governor in addition to a senate and house of representatives. The political status of Puerto Rico is an ongoing debate.

Beginning in the mid-20th century, the U.S. government, together with the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, launched a series of economic projects to develop Puerto Rico into an industrial high-income economy. It is classified by the International Monetary Fund as a developed jurisdiction with an advanced, high-income economy; it ranks 47th on the Human Development Index. The major sectors of Puerto Rico's economy are manufacturing, primarily pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and electronics, followed by services, namely tourism and hospitality. (Full article...)

Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

Photo credit: Mtmelendez

The San Juan Cathedral in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico is one of the most important churches in the Caribbean, and one of the few in the Americas to feature New World medieval architecture. It is also the home of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan and the final resting place of Spanish Conquistador Juan Ponce de León.

WikiProject Puerto Rico
Parent Projects: Sister Projects:
Geography
    Caribbean Cuba • Dominican Republic
    Latin America Mexico • Mesoamerica
    United States Puerto Rican Highways
Ethnic groups
    Latinos
Old Parque de Bombas firehouse building

The Parque de Bombas (English: firehouse) is a historic former fire station in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island."

The Parque de Bombas is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind Ponce Cathedral. Originally built in 1882 as a pavilion for an exhibition, it became Puerto Rico's first ever fire station. In 1990, the fire station closed and was converted into a museum. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on 12 July 1984. (Full article...)

List of selected articles
Science-related topics
  • ... that Dr. Mario R. García Palmieri, Cardiologist - García Palmieri is the first Hispanic to have the distinction of being designated a "Master" by the American College of Cardiology?
  • ... that Dr. Isaac González Martínez, urologist - was the first Puerto Rican urologist and a pioneer in the fight against cancer in the island?
  • ... that Fernando López Tuero Agricultural scientist and agronomist - discovered the bug (believed at first to be a germ) which was destroying Puerto Rico's sugar canes?
  • ... that Dr. Eduardo Santiago Delpín Surgeon - wrote the first book in Spanish about organ transplant?
  • ... that Dr. Diego R. Solís Physician - made Puerto Rican medical history when he performed the first simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant in Puerto Rico?
  • ... that Dr. Ramón M. Suárez Calderón Scientist, cardiologist, educator and hematologist - carried out investigations that led to the identification of the proper and effective treatment of a type of anemia known as Tropical Espru, the application of complex methods, such as electrocardiography and radioisotope, to be used in clinics and the identification and treatment of the disease which causes heart rheumatism?
  • ... that Before Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Conquistadors landed on the island of "Borikén" (Puerto Rico), the Taínos who inhabited the island depended on their astronomical observations for the cultivation of their crops?.
  • ... that The School of Tropical Medicine, was an educational institution created in 1926 by an act of the Puerto Rican Legislature, to further the research initiated by the Anemia Commissions and the Institute of Tropical Medicine on anemia and its causes? Did you also know that the institution existed as an independent entity until 1949, when it was integrated into the School of Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico and its building is in the National Register of Historical Places?
  • ... that Dr. Yajaira Sierra Sastre is the only Hispanic, selected to participate in a four-month long, Mars analog mission funded by NASA. Sierra Sastre aspires to become the first Puerto Rican woman to travel to outer space?
The following are images from various Puerto Rico-related articles on Wikipedia.


Select [►] to view subcategories
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico-related lists
Buildings and structures in Puerto Rico
Culture of Puerto Rico
Economy of Puerto Rico
Education in Puerto Rico
Environment of Puerto Rico
Flags of municipalities of Puerto Rico
Geography of Puerto Rico
Health in Puerto Rico
History of Puerto Rico
Military in Puerto Rico
Organizations based in Puerto Rico
Politics of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican people
Society of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico stubs
On Wikipedia, anyone can edit. So if you're interested in Puerto Rico and its related subjects and articles, feel free to add and edit current content or start a new article. After all, the Wikipedia community encourages all readers and users to be bold in updating pages. If you're unsure on where to start, you can choose any of the open tasks listed below. The Puerto Rico WikiProject thanks you!
  • Join WikiProject Puerto Rico

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

  1. "Dr. Mario R. García Palmieri recibe distinción prestigiosa"; Por: Rosa Rivera Medina; Especial para ESCENARIO
  2. Isaac González Martínez, Retrieved 4 October 2008
  3. 1 2 Rigau Pérez, José G., MD, MPH. "Historia de la investigación científica en Puerto Rico". CienciaPR. Retrieved 2008-10-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Dr. Eduardo Santiago Delpin
  5. Medicos
  6. Rodríguez Gracia; Arql. Luis Á. "Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center". Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico. Retrieved 2008-10-04. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. Yajaira Sierra One Step Closer to Becoming First Puerto Rican Woman in Space
Discover Wikipedia using portals