The population of Puerto Rico is distinctly proud of their heritage. Their ancestors settled on the island over 1,000 years ago and named it Borinquén, but the native Taíno people still call themselves Boricua. Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1493 and named it San Juan Bautista but the first European colony was established by Columbus’s lieutenant, Juan Ponce de León, in 1508. The island wasn’t named Puerto Rico, meaning “rich port,” until 1521 with the port being named San Juan.

After the Spanish-American civil war, Puerto Rico became part of the U.S. according to the Treaty of Paris terms and, in 1900, American Congress passed the Foraker Act which led to a civil government being established. A few years later, in 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act was passed that granted all Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship.

Despite being U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans have immense pride in their Taíno traditions. There are a plethora of historical sites that attribute many of their customs, festivals, cuisine, and lifestyle to their ancestors. Today, Puerto Rico is officially a U.S. state following a statehood referendum held in November 2020, to which 52% of Puerto Rican voters agreed.

Puerto Rico is flanked by several smaller islands – Vieques, Culebra, and Mona Island – which are also part of the new U.S. state. Approximately 3.2 million people share the total Puerto Rico land area, which extends to 5,320 square miles of which three-quarters are an island. There are large coastal areas to the south and north of the island split by a mountain range known as La Cordillera Central; the highest peak of the island, Cerro de Punta, is part of the range and rises to 4,390 feet.

San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico. As a major port, it has the highest population at 395,326 residents and is the 46th largest city in the U.S. Ponce is the second largest city, sitting on the southern coast of the island, and is where the Government of Puerto Rico and U.S. Federal Government agencies are located.

Because of the natural terrain, there are over 50 rivers that span the island and as many as 17 lakes. The Caguas Basin, situated in the Grande de Loíza River valley just south of the island’s capital of San Juan, is the largest area of level land and where a large proportion of Puerto Ricans have settled. 

Although Puerto Rico’s rivers are not suitable for navigation,  the Grande de Loíza rivers are used to supply water, hydroelectricity, and irrigation for agriculture. Grande de AreciboGrande de Añasco

The land and climate of Puerto Rico is mainly tropical rainforest with temperatures averaging 29°C on lower land levels, and 21°C in the mountains. However, the islands do suffer from hurricanes during the Atlantic hurricane season. The worst was Hurricane Maria in 2017 which caused many people to lose their homes and possessions. Four years on and there are still areas of Puerto Rico that haven’t yet recovered.