- availability: males age 15-49: 2,530,466 (2001
est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:
2,030,759 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 71,404
(2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2.458 billion (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.6% (FY97)

Portugal Transnational Issues

Illicit drugs: important gateway country for Latin American cocaine
and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market;
transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe;
consumer of Southwest Asian heroin

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@Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Introduction

Background: Discovered by Columbus in 1493, the island was ceded by
Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. A
popularly elected governor has served since 1948. In plebiscites
held in 1967 and 1993, voters chose to retain commonwealth status.

Puerto Rico Geography

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

Geographic coordinates: 18 15 N, 66 30 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 9,104 sq km

land: 8,959 sq km

water: 145 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode
Island

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 501 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north;
mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most
coastal areas

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m

Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and
offshore oil

Land use: arable land: 4%

permanent crops: 5%

permanent pastures: 26%

forests and woodland: 16%

other: 49% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 390 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; hurricanes

Environment - current issues: erosion; occasional drought causing
water shortages

Geography - note: important location along the Mona Passage - a key
shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest
and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and
high central mountains ensure land