Puerto Rico Puerto Rico ( Spanish for `` Rich Port '' ) , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico , `` Free Associated State of Puerto Rico '' ) and briefly called Porto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea .   It is an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller ones such as Mona , Culebra , and Vieques . The capital and most populous city is San Juan . Its official languages are Spanish and English , though Spanish predominates . The island 's population is approximately 3.4 million . Puerto Rico 's rich history , tropical climate , diverse natural scenery , traditional cuisine , and attractive tax incentives make it a popular destination for travelers from around the world .   Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people , the island was claimed in 1493 by Christopher Columbus for the Crown of Castile , and it later endured invasion attempts from the French , Dutch , and British . Four centuries of Spanish colonial government transformed the island 's ethnic , cultural and physical landscapes primarily with waves of African slaves , and Canarian , and Andalusian settlers . In the Spanish imperial imagination , Puerto Rico played a secondary , but strategic role when compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and Mexico . Such a distant administrative control continued right up until the end of the 19th century helping to produce a distinctive creole Hispanic culture and language that combined elements from the Natives , Africans , and Iberian people . In 1898 , following the Spanish -- American War , the United States appropriated Puerto Rico together with most former Spanish colonies under the terms of the Treaty of Paris .   Puerto Ricans are considered natural-born citizens of the United States . However , Puerto Rico does not have a vote in the United States Congress , which governs the territory with full jurisdiction under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1950 . As a U.S. territory , American citizens residing on the island are disenfranchised at the national level and may not vote for president and vice president of the United States . However , Congress approved a local constitution , allowing U.S. citizens on the territory to elect a governor . A 2012 referendum showed a majority ( 54 % of those who voted ) disagreed with `` the present form of territorial status '' , with full statehood as the preferred option among those who voted for a change of status , although a significant number of people did not answer the second question from the referendum . A fifth referendum will be held in June 2017 , and `` Statehood '' and `` Independence/Free Association '' were initially the only available options . However , at the recommendation of the Department of Justice , a `` current territorial status '' option will be added .   In early 2017 , the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis posed serious problems for the government . The outstanding bond debt had climbed to $ 70 billion at a time with 12.4 % unemployment . The debt had been increasing during a decade long recession . This was the second major financial crisis to affect the island after the Great Depression when the U.S. government , in 1935 , provided relief efforts through the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration . On May 3 , 2017 , Puerto Rico 's financial oversight board in the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico filed the debt restructuring petition which was made under Title III of PROMESA .
Statistical area (United States) The United States federal government defines and delineates the nation 's metropolitan areas for statistical purposes , using a set of standard statistical area definitions . As of 2013 , the U.S. Office of Management and Budget ( OMB ) defined and delineated 388 metropolitan statistical areas ( MSAs ) and 541 micropolitan statistical areas ( μSAs ) in the United States and Puerto Rico . Many of these 929 MSAs and μSAs are , in turn , components of larger combined statistical areas ( CSAs ) consisting of adjacent MSAs and μSAs that are linked by commuting ties ; as of 2013 , 524 metropolitan and micropolitan areas are components of the 169 defined CSAs .   Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas are defined as consisting of one or more adjacent counties or county equivalents with at least one urban core area meeting relevant population thresholds , plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core , as measured by commuting ties . A metropolitan statistical area has at least one urban core with a population of at least 50,000 . In a micropolitan statistical area , the largest urban core has a population of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 . __ TOC __ Coconstitutionalism Coconstitutionalism is where two institutional cultures exist in a complex semi-autonomous relationship to each other . The model of asymmetrical devolution that has emerged in democratic Spain has been called `` coconstitutional '' in that it is neither a federal nor a unitary model of government : autonomous nation-regions exist alongside and within the Spanish nation-state in a relatively dynamic relationship .   Similarities to federalism are marked although a key difference lies in the legal status of a federal-state versus a notionally unitary coconstitutional one : in a federation , it is the states who legally transfer powers to the federal government ( bottom up ) whereas in a unitary state power is devolved from the nation-state down to the regions ( top down ) and can in theory be revoked . But in the case of Spain any such move by a future Spanish government could rekindle the Spanish Civil War , the truth is such a move would probably require a constitutional amendment . Certainly a statue of autonomy ( Spanish , Estatuto de autonomía ) can not be abrogated nor modified save by an initiative of an autonomous regional Parliament -- that being , of course , unlikely .   Since 1997 , the UK government has pursued a similar coconstitutional model of devolution with regard to its nation-regions . Territory (disambiguation) A territory is a subdivision of a country having a legal status different from other regions of that country .   Territory may also refer to :   Box office territory  Sales territory  Territoriality ( nonverbal communication ) , how people use space to communicate ownership/occupancy of areas and possessions  Subdivisions of a country having a legal status different from other regions of that country :  British Overseas Territories  Overseas territory ( France )  Provinces and territories of Canada , administrative subdivisions of Canada with fewer powers of self-government than provinces  States and territories of Australia , administrative subdivisions of Australia  Territoire de Belfort , a French département that retains its historical name from 1871-1999  Territories of the United States ( may be classified as incorporated organized territories , incorporated unorganized territories , unincorporated organized territories , and unincorporated unorganized territories )  Union territory , administrative subdivisions in India  Unorganized area ( Canada ) List of Puerto Rican submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Puerto Rico is among the one-hundred countries that have submitted films for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film . The award is handed out annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue .   The Puerto Rican nominee is selected by the Corporación de Cine de Puerto Rico . However , the territory is no longer allowed to submit films due the Academy altering its rules to disqualify films from American protectorates . Puerto Rico, Caquetá Puerto Rico is a town and municipality in Caquetá Department , Colombia .   Category : Municipalities of Caquetá Department  Category : Populated places in the Caquetá Department United States Virgin Islands status referendum, 1993 A status referendum was held in the United States Virgin Islands on 11 October 1993 . After the United States Congress modified the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to allow a vote on the status of the islands , a vote was scheduled for 1989 . It was delayed several times until 1993 , when voters were offered the options of integration into the United States , becoming a United States territory or independence .   Although 82 % voted in favour of territorial status , voter turnout was below the 50 % threshold and the result was invalidated . United States Northern Command United States Northern Command ( USNORTHCOM ) is a Unified Combatant Command of the U.S. military tasked with providing military support for civil authorities in the U.S. , and protecting the territory and national interests of the United States within the contiguous United States , Alaska ( not Hawaii ) , Puerto Rico , Canada , Mexico , The Bahamas , and the air , land and sea approaches to these areas . It is the U.S. military command which , if applicable , would be the primary defender against a mainland invasion of the United States .   USNORTHCOM was created on 25 April 2002 when President George W. Bush approved a new Unified Command Plan , following the September 11 attacks . USNORTHCOM went operational on 1 October 2002 .   The support that USNORTHCOM provides to civil authorities is legally limited by the Posse Comitatus Act , which sets some limits on the role of the U.S. military in civilian law enforcement . However , in case of national emergency , natural or man-made , its Air Forces Northern National Security Emergency Preparedness Directorate will take charge of the situation or event . United States Customs House (Ponce, Puerto Rico) The U.S. Customs House ( Spanish : Aduana de Ponce ) , located at Bonaire and Aduana streets in barrio La Playa , Ponce , Puerto Rico , is the oldest customs house in Puerto Rico , and the only one of its type under the U.S. flag . As of February 10 , 1988 , the building was owned by the U.S. Customs Service , Washington , D.C. . The building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as `` U.S. Custom House '' . It was listed on February 10 , 1988 . Independence movement in Puerto Rico The Independence Movement in Puerto Rico refers to initiatives by inhabitants throughout the history of Puerto Rico to obtain independence for the island people . First from the Spanish Empire , and since 1898 , from the United States . A wide variety of groups , movements , political parties , and organizations have worked for Puerto Rican Independence over the centuries .   A spectrum of autonomous , Nationalist , and Independence sentiments and political parties exist on the island . Since the beginning of the 19th century , organizations advocating independence in Puerto Rico have attempted both peaceful political means as well as violent revolutionary actions to achieve its objectives .  During the second half of the 20th century , the independence movement attracted neither widespread support nor support at elections from the Puerto Rican people . In a status referendum in 2012 , 5.5 % voted for independence while Statehood obtained over 61.11 % of the votes cast . Independence also received the least support , less than 4.5 % of the vote , in the status referendums in 1967 , 1993 and 1998 .   A fourth referendum was held in 2012 , with 54 % voting to change Puerto Rico 's status but the federal government took no action to do so . The fifth plebiscite is due to be held on June 11 , 2017 . The two options at that time will be `` Statehood '' and `` Independence/Free Association '' . It will be the first referendum not to offer the choice of retaining the current status as a Commonwealth . Provinces and territories of Canada Canada 's geography is divided into administrative divisions known as provinces and territories that are responsible for delivery of sub-national governance . When Canada was formed in 1867 , three provinces of British North America -- New Brunswick , Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada ( which , on the formation of Canada , was divided into Ontario and Quebec ) -- were united to form a federated colony , which eventually became a sovereign nation in the next century . Over its history , Canada 's international borders have changed several times , and the country has grown from the original four provinces to the current ten provinces and three territories . The ten provinces are Alberta , British Columbia , Manitoba , New Brunswick , Newfoundland and Labrador , Nova Scotia , Ontario , Prince Edward Island , Quebec , and Saskatchewan . Several of the provinces were former British colonies , and Quebec was originally a French colony , while others were added as Canada grew . The three territories are Northwest Territories , Nunavut , and Yukon , which govern the rest of the area of the former British North America . Together , the provinces and territories make up the world 's second-largest country by area .   The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces receive their power and authority from the Constitution Act , 1867 ( formerly called the British North America Act , 1867 ) , whereas territorial governments have powers delegated to them by the Parliament of Canada . The powers flowing from the Constitution Act are divided between the federal government and the provincial governments to exercise exclusively . A change to the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces requires a constitutional amendment , whereas a similar change affecting the territories can be performed unilaterally by the Parliament of Canada or government .   In modern Canadian constitutional theory , the provinces are considered to be co-sovereign divisions and each province has its own `` Crown '' represented by the lieutenant governor . The territories are not sovereign , but simply part of the federal realm , and have a commissioner who represents the federal government .   __ TOC __ Puerto Rico Council of Secretaries The Council of Secretaries of Puerto Rico ( Consejo de Secretarios ) is the group composed by the heads of the executive departments of the government of Puerto Rico . The Council is charged with leading the different sectors of public administration within the government and does not constitute an agency by itself .   The Council , together with the Cabinet-level officers , compose the Cabinet of Puerto Rico . Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico ( Spanish : Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico ) is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected by the voters of Puerto Rico every four years . The commissioner is the only member of the House of Representatives who serves a four-year term and functions in every respect as a congressman except being denied a vote on the final disposition of legislation on the House floor . They are also allowed to serve on congressional committees and enjoy a salary of $ 174,000 per year .   The current commissioner is Jenniffer González of the New Progressive Party ( PNP ) and affiliated to the Republican Party ( R ) at the national level .   Other U.S. territories have a similar representative position called a `` Delegate '' . Hispanic Americans in World War II Hispanic Americans , also referred to as Latinos , served in all elements of the American armed forces in the war . They fought in every major American battle in the war . Between 250,000 and 500,000 Hispanic Americans served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II , out of a total of 12,000,000 , constituting 2.3 % to 4.7 % of the U.S. Armed Forces . The exact number is unknown as , at the time , Hispanics were not tabulated separately , but were generally included in the general white population census count . Separate statistics were kept for African Americans and Asian Americans .   On December 7 , 1941 , when the United States officially entered the war , Hispanic Americans were among the many American citizens who joined the ranks of the Army , Navy and Marine Corps as volunteers or through the draft . Not only did Hispanics serve as active combatants in the European and Pacific Theatres of war , but they also served on the home front as civilians .  Hundreds of Hispanic women joined the Women 's Army Auxiliary Corps ( WAACs ) and Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service ( WAVES ) , serving as nurses and in administrative positions . Many worked in traditionally male labor jobs in the manufacturing plants that produced munitions and materiel , replacing men who were away at war .   When conscription was increased , some Puerto Ricans from the island were assigned as replacements to units in the Panama Canal Zone and British Caribbean islands , which were made up mostly of continental ( United States mainland ) soldiers . Most Puerto Ricans and Hispanics residing in Puerto Rico were assigned to the 65th Infantry Regiment or to the Puerto Rico National Guard . These were the only all-Hispanic units whose statistics were kept . More than 53,000 Puerto Ricans and Hispanics who resided on the island served in the war . According to Senator Robert Menendez , more than 9,000 Latinos died in the defense of the United States in World War II . Because of lack of separate documentation , the total number of Hispanic Americans who died in the conflict is unknown . Casiano Communications Casiano Communications Inc. began in 1973 ... publishing a modest business and financial newsletter on Puerto Rico . Recognizing the unfilled niche that area business publications would fill in the future , that newsletter became CARIBBEAN BUSINESS newspaper : one of the first , and for more than 40 years , one of the most successful , business and financial newspapers not only in the Caribbean , but in the entire United States . For forty-three years , it had been the recognized Business Authority in Puerto Rico and the region . It was published weekly in English , and its in-depth news and analysis was read by the White House , the U.S. Congress , Wall Street , by Puerto Rico bond investors , the parent companies and suppliers of companies in Puerto Rico and many others . Daily business news was provided on its website , CB.pr , where it attracted more than 153,000 unique visitors a month . These visitors `` hit '' our site more than 27 million times a month and the average visit is an astounding 25 + minutes per visit .  In the late 1980s , CARIBBEAN BUSINESS launched its equally successful annual `` CB Book of Lists '' that ranks the leading companies in Puerto Rico , industry-by-industry and provides complete information on 129 local industries and more than 1,500 companies . It also presents a list of the `` 400 Largest Locally-Owned Companies '' and a comprehensive guide to doing business in P.R. , with all the Island 's business laws , government incentives , complete data on all Federal and Commonwealth Government agencies as well as information on each municipality and a History of Puerto Rico .  Once again looking into the future , CCI identified another unfilled niche in our market : locally-produced quality magazines , where the Island 's people could see and read about themselves and their celebrities .   While various magazines had been launched in Puerto Rico , none were truly successful because they could n't compete with the quality of the magazines in Spanish that were being imported from South America , even though those imported magazines did not include local coverage .  But Casiano identified the area where these imported magazines were vulnerable : they did not reflect Puerto Rico 's people , happenings , problems or needs . So Casiano Communications Inc. ( CCI ) began launching a new series of magazines that today number 10 in all ... covering women 's and family lifestyles , health , a wedding guide , a mothers guide , a decoration guide , a `` Boomers '' magazine for those 50 + , a Quinceañera teen girl magazine and the ¡ Qué Pasa ! tourism guide ... in addition to our flagship CARIBBEAN BUSINESS and its `` Book of Lists . '' Eleven publications in all ... each number one in sales and circulation in its category in Puerto Rico . The imported magazines ? They recently ceased publication of their local magazines , after years of trying to compete with CCI 's products .   An estimated 70 % of Puerto Rico 's adults read one or more Casiano Communications publications each month .   In 2000 , the company unveiled a new search engine and web portal dedicated exclusively for Puerto Rico . The website , called `` Puerto Rico WOW ! '' , also has a business directory and links to view digital versions of articles published in its printed magazines . The website currently receives an average of 19 million hits a month and 191,000 pages viewed daily , as per WebTrends . In 2008 , Puerto Rico WOW ! was converted into www.caribbeanbusinessPR.com , which went on to surpass WOW ! in terms of traffic and ad revenue . Another website , www.TVaquiPR.com , was also launched in 2008 as a complement to its namesake weekly celebrity gossip magazine , TVaquí , no longer published . Territorial evolution of the Caribbean This is a timeline of the territorial evolution of the Caribbean and nearby areas of North , Central , and South America , listing each change to the internal and external borders of the various countries that make up the region .   The region covered is the Caribbean , its islands ( most of which enclose the sea ) , and the surrounding coasts , as well as the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico , Florida , Central America , and the northern region of South America .   The political evolution of the land surrounding the Caribbean reveals the significant role the region played in the colonial struggles of the European powers since Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492 . In the 20th century the Caribbean was again important during World War II , in the decolonization wave in the post-war period , and in the tension between Communist Cuba and the United States ( U.S. ) . Genocide , slavery , immigration and rivalry between world powers have given Caribbean history an impact disproportionate to the size of this small region .   At the time of the European discovery of most of the islands of the Caribbean , three major Amerindian indigenous peoples lived on the islands : the Taíno in the Greater Antilles , The Bahamas and the Leeward Islands ; the Island Caribs and Galibi in the Windward Islands ; and the Ciboney in western Cuba . The Taínos are subdivided into Classic Taínos , who occupied Hispaniola and Puerto Rico , Western Taínos , who occupied Cuba , Jamaica , and the Bahamian archipelago , and the Eastern Taínos , who occupied the Leeward Islands . Trinidad was inhabited by both Carib speaking and Arawak-speaking groups . Virgin Islands Americans Virgin Islands Americans are Americans from the U.S. Virgin Islands or British Virgin Islands who reside in the continental United States , or continental Americans of Virgin Islands heritage .   Persons born in the U.S. Virgin Islands are United States citizens , and as a result do not go through the legal immigration procedures a typical West Indies immigrant would . They are also , due to cultural affinities with the Anglophone Caribbean , U.S. Virgin Islanders in the U.S. are considered part of the Caribbean American immigrant community .   It is difficult to determine how many Virgin Islanders reside in the United States . According to the 2000 U.S. Census , there are 15,014 of U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry residing in the continental United States . However , a count of American residents with `` U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry '' excludes most U.S. Virgin Islands-born immigrants in the United States . Because of a high incidence of inter-Caribbean migration throughout the 1960s and 1970s , most native-born U.S. Virgin Islanders today are one or two generations removed from other Caribbean islands and would not necessarily define themselves as having `` U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry . '' For example , Tim Duncan is a St. Croix native with Anguillian ancestry .   The population of immigrants of British Virgin Islands origin in the United States is also difficult to determine , as they are not specifically counted in the U.S. Census , but grouped with other Caribbean British Overseas Territories as `` British West Indies . '' Puerto Peñasco Puerto Peñasco ( Geʼe Ṣuidagĭ ) is a city located in Puerto Peñasco Municipality in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora , about 100 km from the border with the U.S. state of Arizona . It is located on the small strip of land that joins the Baja California Peninsula with the rest of Mexico . The area is part of the Altar Desert , one of the driest and hottest of the larger Sonora Desert . Because of the lack of water , this area had no permanent settlements until the 1920s . In the 1930s and 1940s , the construction of a rail line connecting Baja to the rest of Mexico passed through and allowed for the development of a permanent town . For most of its history , the area has been associated with fishing , which is still a major source of income . However , since the 1990s , there has been a push to develop the area for tourism , as it is already heavily visited by people from Arizona and California . Puerto Peñasco is often called `` Rocky Point '' in English , and has been nicknamed `` Arizona 's beach '' as it is the coast closest to the major cities of Phoenix , Tucson , and Yuma , and many Arizonans spend weekends and vacations there . Florida Territory The Territory of Florida was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 30 , 1822 , until March 3 , 1845 , when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Florida . Originally the Spanish territory of La Florida , and later the provinces of East and West Florida , it was ceded to the United States as part of the 1819 Adams-Onís Treaty . It was governed by the Florida Territorial Council . Capital punishment in Puerto Rico Capital punishment in Puerto Rico , an unincorporated territory of the United States , is forbidden by law . However , a number of people were executed in the territory before abolition . Asian Puerto Rican Asian Puerto Ricans '' ' are Puerto Ricans who trace their ancestry to the continent of Asia , mostly from China , India , Palestinian Territories , Jordan and Syria   As of 2013 , people of Asian descent are a small minority in Puerto Rico that constitutes 0.3 % of the population .