mocratic Party [Roberto PRATS]; National Republican Party
of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP
[Pedro ROSSELLO] (pro-US statehood); Popular Democratic Party or PPD
[Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA] (pro-commonwealth); Puerto Rican Independence
Party or PIP [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] (pro-independence)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as Los
Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered
dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National
Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers
of the Puerto Rican Revolution
International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UNWTO
(associate), UPU, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of the US with commonwealth status)
Flag description:
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; design initially
influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the
colors of the bands and triangle reversed
Economy
Puerto Rico
Economy - overview:
Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean
region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as
the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by
duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have
invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage
laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and
other livestock products as the main source of income in the
agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important
source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million
tourists in 2004. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the
slowdown in the US economy, recovered in 2004-05, but declined again
in 2006-07.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$72.61 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$18,400 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 45%
services: 54% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
1.3 million (2000)
Labor f
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