Puerto Rico (Spanish for "Rich Port"), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit. "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, approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast of Miami, Florida.
An archipelago among the Greater Antilles, Puerto Rico 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 history, tropical climate, natural scenery, traditional cuisine, and tax incentives make it a destination for travelers from around the world.
The Jewish immigration to Puerto Rico began in the 15th century with the arrival of the marranos (variously called conversos, Crypto-Jews, or Secret Jews) who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage. A Jewish community did not flourish in Puerto Rico because Judaism was prohibited by the Spanish Inquisition. The first large group of Jews to settle in Puerto Rico were European refugees fleeing German–occupied Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. The second influx of Jews to the island came in the 1950s, when thousands of Cuban Jews fled after Fidel Castro came to power. Puerto Rican Jews have made many contributions in multiple fields, including business and commerce, education, and entertainment. Puerto Rico has the largest and richest Jewish community in the Caribbean, with 3,000 Jewish inhabitants. It is also the only Caribbean island in which all three major Jewish denominations— Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform—are represented. ( more...)
A map of Jones Act carrier routes for Puerto Rico
The coast at Patillas, Puerto Rico
Plantain "arañitas" and "tostones rellenos"
The 2012 Budget of the Government of Puerto Rico
The Lares Revolutionary Flag
The flag flown by Fidel Vélez and his men during the "Intentona de Yauco" revolt
Soldiers of the 65th Infantry training in Salinas, Puerto Rico (August 1941)
Flying into the capital San Juan.
Children in a company housing settlement, 1941
The difference between the incumbent party, the PPD, and its opponent, the PNP, was a mere 0.6% in the last election. This difference is common as the political landscape experiences political cycles between both parties, with the PPD ruling all branches of government for 36 of the past 64 years. The PNP, on the other hand, has ruled both the executive and legislative branch concurrently for 16 years. The other 12 years experienced a divided government.
Hendricksz 1625 attack on San Juan, Puerto Rico
Population density, Census 2000
A neighborhood in Puerto Rico heavily damaged by the storm.
U.S. military installations in Puerto Rico (including the United States Virgin Islands) throughout the 20th century
'La escuela del Maestro Cordero' by Puerto Rican artist Francisco Oller.
A map of Puerto Rico showing its municipalities
The First Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, appointed pursuant to the Foraker Act
The first company of Puerto Ricans enlisted in the U.S. Army, 1899
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 October
- October 3, 1776 - The Municipality of Vega Baja was founded.
- October 5, 1893 - Banco Popular was established.
- October 11, 1918 - A 7.3 (Richter scale) earthquake occurred off the west coast of Puerto Rico, accompanied by a 6.1 m (20 ft) tsunami.
- October 13, 1981 - Birth of Ángel Figueroa, professional basketball player
- October 14, 1952 - Birth of Rick Aviles, comedian and actor (d. 1995)
- October 15, 1938 - Birth of Antonio R. Barceló, first PR Senate President and grandfather of Governor Carlos Romero Barceló (d. 1868)
- October 18, 1733 - The Municipality of Añasco was founded.
- October 21, 2003 - Death of Luis A. Ferré, third Governor of Puerto Rico (b. 1904)
- October 22, 1928 - Fi Sigma Alfa Fraternity is established at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
- October 22, 1979 - Birth of Kermit Cintrón, professional boxer
- October 23, 1939 - Death of Antonio S. Pedreira, renowned author and educator (b. 1899)
- October 24, 1935 - The Río Piedras massacre occurred.
- October 24, 1994 - Death of Raúl Juliá, Golden Globe award winning screen and stage actor (b. 1940)
- October 25, 1852 - The Municipality of Santa Isabel was founded.
- October 27, 1880 - The Municipality of Culebra was founded.
- October 29, 1908 - Birth of Jaime Benítez, author, academic, politician (d. 2001)
- October 29, 1980 - Birth of Miguel Cotto, welterweight boxing champion
- October 30, 1950 - The Jayuya Uprising occurred.
- October 31, 1960 - Birth of Luis Fortuño, tenth Governor of Puerto Rico
- ...that as of 2003, twenty-five percent of all pharmaceutical products manufactured in the United States were shipped from Puerto Rico, and sixteen of the top twenty best selling prescription drugs in the United States were produced on the island?
- ...that Gothic churches are rare in the New World, but that Puerto Rico has two: Porta Coeli, built in 1606 in San German, and Iglesia San Jose, built in the 1530's in Old San Juan?
- ...that Capt. María Inés Ortiz, was the first Puerto Rican nurse to die in combat and the first Army nurse to die in Iraq?
- ...that the Puerto Rico Trench, roughly parallel to the island and 75 miles north, is home to the deepest submarine depression in the North Atlantic Ocean, and that the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, the Milwaukee Depth (27,493 ft / 8,380 m), lies within the trench?
- ...that Felisa Rincón de Gautier (also known as Doña Fela) was the first woman to be elected as the mayor of a capital city in any of the Americas?
- ...that aside from a strong presence in music, sports, literature, politics, television, radio, etc., Puerto Rico also has a presence in the voice acting industry with voice actors such as Tony Oliver?
- ...that Dick Versace is the first person of Puerto Rican descent and the first Hispanic to become head coach of an NBA team?
- September 8, 2011: The US Justice Department issues a report decrying systematic civil rights abuse by the Puerto Rico Police Department, including illegal searches, use of excessive force, and corruption, sparking a wide call for action from the public and an announcement of reform by Gov. Luis Fortuño.
- August 21, 2011: Tropical storm Irene passes through Puerto Rico and its surrounding islands while becoming a hurricane just north of San Juan, the first of the 2011 Atlantic season.
- June 29, 2011: Jose "Piculin" Ortiz, a former professional basketball player in the NBA (Utah Jazz) and the Puerto Rican Olympic team and the Superior Basketball League, is arrested for drug-related charges.
- June 12, 2011: In professional basketball, José Juan "J.J." Barea, helps the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Miami Heat (4-2) and win the 2011 NBA Championship. A national welcoming party is held in his honor in Puerto Rico.
Héctor Lavoe (September 30, 1946 - June 29, 1993) was an internationally renowned Puerto Rican salsa singer born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Lavoe joined Willie Colón's band, performing as the band vocalist, before forming his own band, performing as lead vocalist. Lavoe recorded several musical hits, including Bandolera, El periódico de ayer, Mi gente and El cantante (written by Ruben Blades just for him), reaching international star status. His career includes two stellar performances, one during the 1974 Congo promotional activities of the Ali-Foreman fight and a 1975 concert at Yankee stadium. However, Lavoe was stricken with several tragedies during his lifetime, including a lifelong addiction to heroin. After several failed attempts at a comeback, he died penniless from complications from AIDS. (more...)
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Atrocities are committed in the name of terrorism, but also in the name to combat terrorism.
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| — Former P.R. Secretary of State Ferdinand Mercado, on the commemoration of the September 11 attacks, in a September 11, 2007 interview with Primera Hora.
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