kel; potential for onshore
and offshore crude oil

_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures
41%; forest and woodland 20%; other 22%

_#_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: 3,294,997 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Puerto Rican(s); adjective--Puerto Rican

_#_Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic

_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other
15%

_#_Language: Spanish (official); English is widely understood

_#_Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1980)

_#_Labor force: 1,068,000; government 28%, manufacturing 15%,
trade 14%, agriculture 3%, other 40% (1990)

_#_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 Spanish civil code

_#_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 BUSH (since 20 January
1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 Januar