The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico) is a archipelago located east of the Dominican Republic in the northeastern Caribbean. Puerto Rico, the smallest of the Greater Antilles, includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands and keys, including the populated island-municipalities of Vieques and Culebra, as well as unpopulated Mona island, located halfway between the islands of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola.
The nature of Puerto Rico's political relationship with the United States is the subject of ongoing debate on and off the island. Those who support maintaining the current formula insist that upon attaining this status, Puerto Rico entered into a voluntary association with the U.S. "in the nature of a compact", but opponents of the Commonwealth status, disagree: according to them, Puerto Rico is no more than an unincorporated organized territory of the U.S., subject to the plenary powers of the United States Congress.
The Taíno are pre-Columbian indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and some of the Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Taíno were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America. Their language is a member of the Maipurean linguistic family, which ranges from South America across the Caribbean, and is thought to have been part of the larger, hypothetical group of Arawakan languages that would have spread over an even wider area. The Taíno of the Bahamas were known as the Lucayan (the Bahamas being known then as the Lucayas), while those in Puerto Rico called themselves Boriquen.
At the time of Columbus's arrival in 1492, there were five Taíno kingdoms or territories on Hispaniola, each led by a principal Cacique (chieftain), to whom tribute was paid. At the time of the Spanish conquest, the largest Taíno population centers may have contained around 3,000 people or more. The Taíno were historical neighbors and enemies of the Carib, another group with origins in South America who lived principally in the Lesser Antilles. The relationship between the two groups has been the subject of much study. (more...)
Photo credit: Carlo Giovannetti (Thief12)
Puerto Rico has over 50 rivers, most originating from the island's central mountainous region which receives heavy rainfall. The largest of these rivers, Rio de la Plata, measures approximately 60.5 mi. (97 km), starting at an altitude of 2,625 ft (800 m) above sea level in Cayey before ending in the northern town of Toa Alta.
Featured content represents the best of what Wikipedia has to offer. The following Puerto Rico-related articles and lists have been designated as Featured (  ) by the community, as a result of many collaborative efforts of users and readers just like you.
Selected anniversaries for December
- December 3, 1824 - The Municipality of Naranjito was founded.
- December 3, 1938 - Death of Félix Córdova Dávila, politician and Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico (b. 1878)
- December 3, 1979 - Los Macheteros opened fire on a bus carrying U.S. sailors, killing CTO1 John R. Ball and RM3 Emil E. White as well as wounding nine.
- December 4, 1979 - Eurobank was founded.
- December 5, 1916 - U.S. Congress approves the Jones Act, establishing Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory and granting U.S. citizenship to all Puerto Ricans.
- December 5, 1941 - Birth of José Aponte de la Torre, mayor of Carolina (d. 2007)
- December 9, 1897 - Birth of Tomas Blanco, writer and historian (d. 1975)
- December 11, 1929 - Birth of Axel Anderson, actor
- December 11, 1931 - Birth of Rita Moreno, Academy Award-winning actress
- December 17, 1771 - The Municipality of Cabo Rojo was founded.
- December 21, 1982 - Birth of Eddie Colón, professional wrestling
- December 22, 1936 - Héctor Elizondo, Golden Globe-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor
- December 24, 1971 - Birth of Ricky Martin, international pop star.
- December 25, 1855 - The Municipality of Arroyo was founded.
- December 25, 1982 - Birth of Rubén Gotay, Mayor League Baseball second baseman
- December 28, 1965 - The Ponce Museum of Art is inaugurated.
- December 31, 1972 - Death of Roberto Clemente, Major League Baseball player and first Hispanic American to be selected to the Hall of Fame (b. 1934)
- ...That on May 6, 2004, Joseph M. Acaba became the first person of Puerto Rican descent to become an astronaut and on that on the Fall of 2008, the first to to go into space?
- ...that world renowned religious minister and member of the Honorary Committee of The Presidential Prayer Team, Rev. Nicky Cruz was once the leader of a notorious New York City street gang called The Mau Maus?
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