Puerto Rico

Flag of Puerto Rico

Five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large white five-pointed star in the center; the design of the Puerto Rican flag was not based on the United States flag, but rather on the Cuban flag. It was designed in the 1890's by the Puerto Rican Section of the Cuban Revolutionary Party in solidarity with their cause. The colors were inverted to preserve national identity.

• Official Site: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico — Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico
• Capital City: San Juan
• Location: 18.15 N, 66.30 W
  Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
• Bird: Stripe-headed tanager (spyndalis zena) (reinita mora {sp})
• Coastline: 501 km
• Universities:
  • University of Puerto Rico
  • The Technological Institute of PR
  • Inter-American University of PR
  • Catholic University of PR
  • The University of the Sacred Heart
  • The Polytechnic University of PR
  • The Metropolitan University
  • The Ana G. Mendez Foundation
• Constitution: 25 July 1952
• Flower: Puerto Rican hibiscus (montezuma speciossisima) (flor de maga {sp})
• Geology: Mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
• Geography: Topuertorico.org
• Governor: Hon. Sila M. Calderon  First women governor of Puerto Rico
• Highest Point: Point Peak (Cerro de Punta {sp}) 4,389 feet
• Largest City: San Juan (USBC est. 1997 population: 436,334)
• Lowest Point: sea level
• Maps: Map
• Motto: "John is his name" (Juan es su nombre {sp}) (Iohannes est nomen eius)
• National Park: El Yunque Tropical Rainforest.
• Nickname: Isle of Enchantment (Isla del Encanto {sp})
• Newspapers: El Dia, El Vocero, The San Juan Star, Claridad
• Population: 3,828,506 (July 1997 est.)
• Representatives:
  • US House: 109th Congress
  • US Senate: 109th Congress
  • Representative: Pedro Pierluisi  Resident Commissioner
• Soil: Puerto Rico - Bayamon
• Song: The Borinquen Anthem (La Borinqueña {sp})
  • Words by: The music is attributed either to Francisco Ramirez or Felix Astol-Artes; in any case, Astol-Artes gave it its danza (habanera couple dance) arrangement and romantic lyrics. Mrs. Lola Rodriguez de Tio wrote its first patriotic lyrics, which were considered highly subversive.
    Manuel Fernandez-Juncos composed the milder lyrics that were officially adopted. Ramon Collado arranged the dance into an anthem.
• Tourism: Puerto Rico
• Tree: silk-cotton tree (ceiba pentandra) (ceiba {sp})

Thanks to Robert Pastrana, J. Vaquer Jr. and Magaly Rivera for assistance in researching this page.