d 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

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

Land use: 8% arable land; 9% permanent crops; 51% meadows and pastures;
25% forest and woodland; 7% other

Environment: many small rivers and high central mountains ensure
land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain
belt in north

Note: important location between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin
Islands group 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

- People
Population: 3,291,207 (July 1990), growth rate 0.1% (1990)

Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 76 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Puerto Rican(s); adjective--Puerto Rican

Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic

Religion: mostly Christian, 85% Roman Catholic, 15% Protestant
denominations and other

Language: Spanish (official); English is widely understood

Literacy: 89%

Labor force: 1,062,000; 23% government, 20% trade, 18% manufacturing,
4% agriculture, 35% other (1988)

Organized labor: 115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the
General Confederation of Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983)

- Government
Long-form name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

Type: commonwealth associated with the US

Capital: San Juan

Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)

Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952;
effective 25 July 1952

National holiday: Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)

Legal system: based on English common law

Executive branch: US president, US vice president, governor

Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an upper
house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders:
Chief of State--President George B