San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Industrial city and capital of Puerto Rico; population (2000 est) 422,000; metropolitan area (1998 est) 2,004,100. It is a major port, exporting sugar, tobacco, coffee, and tropical fruits, mostly to the US mainland, and provides the world's busiest cruise-ship base. It stands on an island joined by a bridge to the north coast of Puerto Rico. Industries include tourism, banking, metalworking, publishing, cigars, sugar, and clothing. Products include chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machine tools, electronic equipment, textiles, cement, metals, plastics, and rum.

History
The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León founded Puerto Rico's first settlement at nearby Caparra in 1508. In 1521, the settlement moved across the bay to its present site, and the city of San Juan was founded. Its El Morro fortress repelled various attacks, although the English (in 1598) and the Dutch (in 1625) temporarily took control. San Juan became an important port in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the Spanish-American War (1898), it

passed to US control.