are directly elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2
November 2004); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000
(next to be held 2 November 2004)
note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner
to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US
House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor,
he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last
held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results -
percent of vote by party - PPD 49.3%; seats by party - PPD 1; Anibal
ACEVEDO-VILA elected resident commissioner
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PPD 20, PNP 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPD 30, PNP 20, PIP 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of
two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for
all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the
Senate)
Political parties and leaders:
National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican
Party of Puerto Rico [Luis FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP
(pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD
(pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence
Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of
Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the
Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution
International organization participation:
ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (commonwealth associated with the US)
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 Caribb
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