Puerto Rico

Easternmost island of the Greater Antilles, situated between the US Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic; area 9,000 sq km/3,475 sq mi; population (2000 est) 3,808,600. The capital is San Juan. Exports include sugar, tobacco, rum, pineapples, textiles, plastics, chemicals, processed foods, vegetables, and coffee. It is a self-governing territory of the United States.

Puerto Rico was visited in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, and annexed by Spain in 1509. It was ceded to the USA after the Spanish-American War in 1898, and was known as Porto Rico (‘Rich Port’) 1898–1932. Commonwealth status with local self-government was achieved in 1952. This was confirmed in preference to independence by a referendum in 1967, but there is both an independence movement and one preferring incorporation as a state of the USA. Although legislation in favour of a further referendum was proposed and discussed 1990–91, it was later shelved. In December 1998, on the 100th anniversary of its occupation by US troops, Puerto-Rican voters rejected a move to US statehood proposed in a referendum for the third time. government.