000); House of Representatives--last held 5 November 1996
(next to be held 7 November 2000)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--PNP 19, PPD 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives--percent of vote
by party--NA; seats by party--PNP 37, PPD 16, PIP 1
note: Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives; elections last held 5 November 1996 (next
to be held 7 November 2000); results--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--PNP 1 (Carlos Romero BARCELO)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (justices appointed by the
governor with the consent of the Senate); Superior Courts (justices
appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate); Municipal
Courts (justices appointed by the governor with the consent of the
Senate)

Political parties and leaders: National Republican Party of

Political pressure groups and leaders: Armed Forces for National
Liberation or FALN; Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution;
Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Armed Forces of
Popular Resistance

International organization participation: Caricom (observer),
ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau),
IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (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 based on the US flag

Economy

Economy--overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic
economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has
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 for the island, with estimated arrivals
of nearly 4 million tourists in 1993. Construction and tourism were
the leading sectors in economic growth in 1998.

GDP: purchasing power parity