World Country Guide

General Information

Area
8959 sq km (3459 sq miles).

Population
3,839,810 (official estimate 2002).

Population Density
428.6 per sq km.

Capital
San Juan. Population: 421,958 (2000).

Geography
Puerto Rico is an island east of the Dominican Republic and west of the British Virgin Islands. Also included are several smaller islands, such as Culebra, Mona and Vieques. The island is comparatively small, 8959 sq km (3459 sq miles), with a central mountain range reaching an altitude of 1338m (4390ft) at Cerro de Punta, and surrounded by low coastal plains. The capital is on the northeast shore. Much of the natural forest has been cleared for agriculture, but the trees in the northeast are protected as a national park. The other main towns are Aguadilla, Arecibo, Bayamn, Caguas, Carolina, Cayey, Farjardo, Guaynabo, Mayagez and Ponce.

Government
Self-governing US Commonwealth Territory (incorporated). Gained internal autonomy in 1951. Head of State: President George W Bush since 2001. Head of Government: Governor Sila Maria Caldern since 2001.

Language
Spanish and English are the official languages.

Religion
Roman Catholic 74 per cent; the remainder are other Christian denominations and Jews.

Time
GMT - 4.

Electricity
110 volts AC, 60Hz.

Communications

Telephone
IDD service is available. Country code: 1 787. Outgoing international code: 011.

Mobile telephone
CDMA/TDMA network. Not compatible with GSM handsets (although there are plans to introduce the network soon).

Internet
ISPs include Coqui Net (website: www.coqui.net). Access is available in hotels and business centres.

Post
Airmail to Western Europe takes up to one week.

Press
The English-language newspaper published in Puerto Rico is The San Juan Star; others include El Nuevo Da, El Vocero de Puerto Rico and Primera Hora.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.