3, and 1998 voters chose to retain
commonwealth status.

Geography Puerto Rico

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 water: 145 sq km land: 8,959 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% other: 91% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 400 sq km (1998 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 is well watered; south coast relatively dry;
fertile coastal plain belt in north

People Puerto Rico

Population: 3,957,988 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.5% (male 476,726; female 453,782) 15-64
years: 65.8% (male 1,249,850; female 1,353,438) 65 years and over: 10.7%
(male 180,053; female 244,139) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.51% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 15.04 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 80.66 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people liv