• The Population of Puerto Rico, as of the 2010 Census, is estimated at 3,979,000.
  
  
• The island is 110 miles east to west, and 60 miles north to south. That's 3,508 square miles, or roughly double the size of Delaware.
  
  
• Puerto Rico was originally inhabited by Taíno indians. They called the island Boriken or Borinquen, which means, "Land of the Great Lords," and today Puerto Ricans proudly call themselves 'Boricua'.
  
  
• Christopher Columbus "discovered" Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493, on his second voyage to the New World.
  
  
• Juan Ponce de León was the first governor of the the city of Puerto Rico, "rich port." Due to mapping error, today the city is known as San Juan, and the island is named Puerto Rico.
  
  
• Published reports are conflicting, but it is generally accepted that Tourism provides somewhere between 2% and 7% of Puerto Rico's Gross National Product (seems low, doesn't it? There's a lot of business going on here!)
  
  
• Construction on the San Felipe del Morro, the formidable Spanish fort in Old San Juan, began in 1539. The San Juan Gate was constructed in 1639 as the official entry to San Juan.
  
  
• The Lares Upsrising (El Grito de Lares) took place in the town of Lares in 1868, where several hundred men and women revolted against Spain in a failed push for Puerto Rican independence.
  
  
• On July 25, 1898, 16,000 American forces landed in the southwestern beach town of Guánica to overthrow Spanish rule. Within two months the island had been ceded to The United States.
  
  
• Luis Olmos was the first Puerto Rican to play in a World Series baseball game (for the LA Dodgers). There have been several baseball greats since then, including: Hall of Famer, Roberto Clamente, also "Mister October," Reggie Jackson (his father was Puerto Rican), Orlando Cepeda, as well as Hiram Bithorn, and 2011 baseball Hall Of Fame inductee, Roberto Alomar (some say the best 2nd baseman in baseball history).
  
  
• President Barack Obama was the first sitting President of the United States to visit Puerto Rico since John F. Kennedy was in office. Former President Clinton visited in 2008, including a stop at the Lares Ice Cream Parlor, but not while in office.
  
  
• The world's largest radio telescope is in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Yup, the same one featured in the last scene of the James Bond movie, Goldeneye.
  
  
• More than 70% of the rum sold in the United States comes from Puerto Rico.
  
  
• Two of the oldest churches in all of the Americas are located in Old San Juan. The Iglesia de San José was constructed in the 1530's, and the Catedral de San Juan was built in the 1520's, though it has suffered damage from hurricanes, lootings, and attacks.
  
  
• Karl Wallenda, founder of The Flying Wallendas, died at age 73 while walking across a wire 10 stories (121 feet) in the air between the two towers of the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan.
  
  
• Puerto Rico boasts over 270 MILES of spectacular beaches! There's one calling out to you now!
  
  
• For an in-depth timeline of the history of Puerto Rico, visit: www.topuertorico.org

Click On Map for Interactive Google Map

Puerto Rico is a Caribbean paradise, with near-perfect weather... most of the time. The Trade Winds blow through, and can bring rain and winds (thus the creation of the El Yunque rainforest), and the tall mountains of the Cordillera Central, or 'Central Corridor,' disrupt the flow of precipitation to the southwest. The mountains are responsible for the creation of the Dry Forest in the Guánica area, and for the many self-starting grass fires on the southern end of the island. Fascinating, no? This tropical paradise has grass fires!

In the winter months (which Puerto Ricans consider 'the dry season'), the skies are mostly clear, but there can definitely be rain (particularly in northeast, where the Trade Winds blow). When it rains, however, it's usually a short tropical shower, followed by hours of sun. From late May to early November, during 'the rainy season,' the rains can last for hours, and can coincide with hurricane season. There's plenty of beautiful weather during those months, but dew points can get pretty high, matched closely by your love of air conditioning.

Click Here for in-depth seasonal weather averages and weather information from wunderground.com.

Puerto Rico is a self-governing commonwealth, operating in association with the United States. The Chief of State is the President of the United States, though Puerto Rican citizens are not allowed to vote in presidential elections. Residents hold US citizenship, however, Puerto Rico is an insular area — a United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia.

The Head of Government is an elected Governor, currently Governor Luís Fortuño.

There are two legislative chambers: the House of Representatives, with 51 seats, and the Senate, with 27.

The Judicial Branch is headed by the Chief Justice of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, currently Chief Justice Federico Hernández Denton.

For more information on the Puerto Rican government, Click Here.

The current Puerto Rican flag was first flown on December 22, 1895. It was developed by a political group of Puerto Ricans in Manhattan, New York City, that had close ties to the Cuban Revolutionary Party. The party fought for the independence of Puerto Rico and Cuba from Spain. In fact, the Puerto Rican flag is identical to the Cuban flag, but with the red and blue colors reversed.

The flag symbolized resistance to the US invasion in 1898, was later adopted by the Nationalist Party, and finally, when the island became an official US Commonwealth on July 25, 1952, it was adopted as the official National Flag.

What The Flag Represents:

• The White Star represents the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
  
• The three sides of the equilateral Blue Triangle represent the three branches of government (Legislative, Executive, Judicial)
  
• The Three Red Stripes represent the blood that's been spilled to preserve the 3 branches of government
• The Two White Stripes represent the right of man and the freedom of the individual

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